The Metamorphyx Journey: Part IV
The Metamorphyx Journey: Part IV
God’s Call to a Stage of Life
Perseverance, Vocational Excellence, Tent Making . . . and ah, yes, Retirement! All are Stages of Life that most of us have, or will, travel through. Some, more than once . . . excepting perhaps the most threatening of all, Retirement. Yup! We’ll get to that later, but first let’s explore exactly what we mean by a Stage of Life . . . and also how Life Purpose Contemplation tunes our ears and heart to God’s Call . . . and our entry into his appointed Stage of Life.
Stage of Life is a phrase I consistently use throughout Metamorphyx. Typically, a Stage of Life brackets a multi-year span of time (with some exceptions, of course). A Stage of Life is usually framed by a Pivot Point or “life event” that marks the beginning and endpoint. Those may be a marriage, birth of a child, death of a loved one, a medical condition, a major shift in one’s career focus and so on. Stages of Life can also overlap. You may be gainfully employed in the marketplace (Vocational Excellence), but also simultaneously slammed with the demands of chemotherapy. In that case, Vocational Excellence and Perseverance run in parallel for a season.
It’s the same for volunteers and ministry workers who passionately give their time to serve the needy or eradicate a social evil. These folks are Tentmakers like the apostle Paul! Financial provision on one side provides for a ministry focus on the other. Check out a more comprehensive review of Stages of Life in Metamorphyx (pages 191-204) . . . and identify where God has you slotted.
Backing up for a minute into Life Purpose Contemplation, we have already discovered that God’s sovereign purposes are being served in all aspects of life. If we don’t believe that God is ultimately working all things for good in our lives—and that all things are sovereignly designed to etch our character in conformance to God’s will (Romans 8:28-29), we can easily live life as a victim—not as a pilgrim on this planet destined for Bunyan’s Celestial City.
As I noted in Part III, Life Purpose Contemplation is hard work. It involves prayer, evaluation of my circumstances, a glance at the rearview mirror of my life, the implications of life-altering Pivot Points . . . and any new direction that a Life Change decision may dictate. But, we can’t forget, that Life Change has two dimensions; the first is a spiritual awakening that a new course in life lay head . . . and secondly, that we must commit to movement in that direction.
To be clear, an awakening without movement is a life purpose stalemate! In nautical terms, when we “weigh anchor” on a sailing vessel, we are preparing for a departure to a new destination. “Anchors aweigh!” is, in fact, a report that the anchor is clear of the sea bottom . . . and the ship is officially under way. This can be a frightening proposition in heavy seas, but we are encouraged to be “strong and courageous” (Joshua (1:9) . . . and recognize that other men and women in biblical history (to include Abraham, Moses, Ruth, Esther, David, the apostles Paul and Peter, and a host of others.) all made bold life purpose decisions . . . and never looked back!
God’s Call to a new Stage of Life, however, should always be rooted in three Life Purpose Tenets. These provide the validation that our ship of life is on the right compass heading—and will remain on course within the Stage of Life we are called to.
#1: Am I surrendered to God’s Call and producing transformational life change? (Romans 8:28-29, 12:2; Galatians 5:22-24)
#2: Am I exhibiting a working faith? (James 2:18, 2:26)
#3: Am I being strengthened in my faith and standing firm in it? (2 Peter 3:18).
Let’s be clear, none of us will ever “ace” every aspect of these Life Purpose Tenets. To some degree, spiritual growth within these Tenets may be why God is calling you to a new Stage of Life!
Finally, there are some amongst us who, for the first time, are awakening to God’s Call in their lives and questioning or assessing their current Stage of Life. Not surprisingly, three prickly questions arise: How did I get here? . . . Should I stay where I am? . . . What does the future hold?
For those wrestling with these important and “new” questions, God invites you to engage in some Life Purpose Visioneering. More than anything else, visioneering reminds us that the most important thing in life is our relationship with our Caller. We should not count on God maneuvering us into the sweet spot of our passions, gifting, and financial health. But rather, into maturity in faith . . . and the sweet spot with our Savior.
Oh, about Retirement. Sure, it’s a celebrated and anticipated Stage of Life in our culture. But it comes with frightful hazards that must be well understood. In Retirement, many swap meaningful life purpose for the allure of leisure and comfort . . . and shipwreck their lives. Retirement is all about finishing well and ensuring that the good work God began in us carries on to completion (Philippians 1:6). Yes, play more golf, but be sure to invest in people, the causes of Christ, and Kingdom impact. .
On The Metamorphyx Journey with you. Anchors aweigh!
Tom
“Whatever you do, work at with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving,” (Colossians 3:23-24).
More on Life Purpose Visioneering can be found in Part II chapter 1 of Metamorphyx. Read, enjoy, and apply it in your life.
Metamorphyx: Embracing Life Experience, Life Change, and Life Purpose and The Metamorphyx Study Guide can be found on Amazon, B&N and Apple iTunes in print and e-formats.