Back to the BBQ

via TJC

So Elijah went and found Elisha son of Shaphat plowing a field….Elijah went over to him and threw his cloak across his shoulders and then walked away… So Elisha returned to his oxen and slaughtered them. He used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast their flesh. He passed around the meat to the townspeople, and they all ate. Then he went with Elijah as his assistant.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭19:19, 21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I have heard people talk about being afraid to follow Jesus because of what he might ask them to do (like go to Africa as a missionary). It’s been a theme in talks at multiple places; church, camps, men’s retreats. Have you experienced that fear? If you are a father, do you remember when your first child was born and the new call it placed on your life? For some men, it is a time of fear (I was terrified when they sent our son home with us) but also celebration. For other fathers in today's culture, it is a time of abdication, which is sad and disastrous for our society.

How have you responded when a “cloak of calling” has been placed on your shoulders? Maybe it was as a father, but it could also be as a husband, a leader in your profession, as an athlete, as a soldier… It might be as a leader in your church, a small group, or even as a missionary (that’s what, very unexpectedly, happened to me).

I love Elisha’s response. He threw a BBQ, celebrated with his friends, and dove straight into God's call on his life.

Daily Battle Order:

Whatever your call is, and there will likely be several in your life, you get to decide how to respond. Will you step up like Elisha did and celebrate with friends and family (many of whom may think you are crazy)?

God might call you to respond like the disciples of Jesus and ask you to leave everything. More likely, He is going to give you a series of progressive calls on your life that ask you to make tough choices about following Him.

Have you considered what He is asking today? It may be small (give up a day of golf for a wife & children) or it may be big (change careers). Whatever it is, will you celebrate the call, maybe with a BBQ, and dive in?