By Sandy Jones
Many of our readers know Christian Living was an idea God gave me when I was working for another publisher way back in 2012. At that point in time I thought it was just part of my j-o-b.
It took us 13 months to hit the stands with our first issue in July 2013. We were so excited. All the hours of talking to study groups, friends and family, not to mention other publishers of similar magazines, along with lots of research and development, had gotten us to this point. (Thankfully God sent us our wonderful editor, Gaye Bunderson, in the middle of all of this – we clearly had no clue what we were doing, and she came in and saved the day!)
Long story short, I got ill and had to leave that job, and in doing so my hubby and I bought Christian Living Magazine. God had not only planted the seed, but He’d given me the passion for it! (By the way, today we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit – nobody owns a non-profit – it’s ALL God’s now.)
We had a solid plan, but as more and more issues came out, our readers, people just like you, started reaching out and sharing the things they liked about the stories and articles – explaining how we were feeding their souls, and impacting their lives!
I’m a simple woman, often simple-minded, but it didn’t take long to realize this was not just a magazine, but a full-blown ministry. Although I’m no Bible scholar, it seemed that God had been equipping me for this for many years. Classes I took. Bible studies I attended, or led, and the hours of prep work that went into them. Until one day fairly early on I realized that this wasn’t my j-o-b, it’s my calling.
I’m not implying that I’m special, because I’m not. In looking back at the chapters in my life over the last 29 years, I’ve been reflecting on church leadership roles that I was reluctant to take on (you should ask my pastor about some of the debates we’ve had over that – boy is he a patient man!); topics our small group wanted to tackle that I knew nothing about; Christian Living itself – I say often if I had known in 2012 what I know today I would have run away screaming; our radio show, Christian Living Spotlight* – oh my goodness, I told God for a year-and-a-half nobody wanted to hear my voice on their radio, and I’d ask, “What do I have to offer of any value anyway?” – no spiritual warfare there! But as I look back over these years and seasons I’ve come to realize that none of these were my j-o-b, nor were they hobbies; they were all things God was calling me to do. Yes, each of them “a calling”!
Today our “staff” (a team of independent contractors who take their work on CLM very seriously) all agree and feel that this is something God has called each of us to do. We are dedicated to making it happen each and every week, every issue, every time!
So may I ask you – what is God calling you to do? Is he asking you to teach Sunday School? Be in the choir? Sit on your church’s Board of Trustees? Or simply check in on your neighbor? What if each of these things isn’t just a task but an honest-to-goodness something God is calling you to do?
Col. 3:23 sums up how we should look at a calling (quoting the NIV here): Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
I’ve learned too that sometimes the enemy distracts us. Makes our “work” tedious. Our “co-workers” trying. Tempts us to be “lazy” – after all it’s just volunteer work. Or even worse, sometimes the enemy teases us with pure headiness – self-important ego if you will – but it’s none of this. It’s actually a calling from our God, the Lord Most High! If we’re being honest with ourselves, AND with God, it should be done “as working for the Lord” because it is.
So again – may I ask? What is God calling YOU to do?
Until next time…
God Bless!
A NOTE OF GRATITUDE: If I might take a moment to thank everyone who reached out after my last column. Sympathy was never my intent, although my husband, Steve, and I continue to covet your prayers as his cancer journey continues on. We are cautious to remember that the Almighty God is still on the throne, and He has a plan; keeping in mind that His ways are not our ways, and His Will might be different than our desires, we give it all to Him and Him Alone. From the bottom of our hearts – thank you!
Also, may I ask you to please frequent our advertisers? While our team works diligently to put this wonderful magazine together, nothing any of us do matters if we can’t get it printed and out to you. Our wonderful advertisers make that possible. When visiting their stores or offices, please thank them for the important role they play by their support of Christian Living Magazine.
*Starting September 6, Spotlight will be airing on 94.5 FM KSPD at noon MST on Saturdays, while continuing to be available as a podcast on your favorite streaming service.
