“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
Acts 13:2 (RSV)
The Holy Spirit is always on mission, setting us apart to do God’s work, and He is doing some interesting things these days among young believers, born between 1997-2012, known as Generation Z. Religious and secular publications have written articles about an unusual shift towards spirituality among this age group, which includes all Christian denominations.
There’s an entire generation of young people, of all denominations, Catholic and Protestant, who are embracing a new call to follow Jesus in various ministries and paths of discipleship, which is great news for the future of this world.
I was listening to the personal testimonies of a few young men who are seminarian students in this age group, telling their stories of how they were called to the priesthood. It started with a stirring in their hearts, a personal wake up call by Jesus, a love for God and a desire to serve Him. One young man felt his calling at an Easter vigil service, when he heard Christ asking him within his heart:
“How would you like to be another Christ for Me in this world?” That was his turning point, leading to his decision.
I was touched by that phrase, “be another Christ for Me in this world.”Most of us will never be called to full time ministry, but we are still called to be Christ to others, in whatever place we are at, in this world. God knows that the world needs more of Jesus. We all befriend and rub shoulders with unbelievers every day. They may not go to church, and never read a Bible, but they are all reading us. They’re watching your life and mine. They watch what we do, what we say and we might be the only Christ they will ever see.
The Holy Spirit transforms lives and then He sets us apart, calling us to serve Him in one way or another. On one occasion, the Spirit chose Paul and Barnabas to be sent to Cyprus on a specific mission, as today’s scripture verse describes. They both faced opposition and endured many hardships, but many came to believe through them.
No one would use a product that hasn’t first been tested. Faith that has not been tested cannot be fully trusted for use. The book of Acts tells us that every believer in the early church was tested in some way. Paul was once beaten and after recovering, he said, “It is through many hardships that we enter the kingdom of God.” (Acts 14:22)
Our faith will also be tested through fiery trials, but Paul reminds us that the fire of testing leads us to the kingdom of God. Fire is not only a metaphor of tests and trials, it’s the source of the warmth of God’s presence. His fire lights our way through some of our darkest moments. The Holy Spirit appeared as fire over the heads of the disciples on Pentecost, and today, His fire dwells within us.
As we each find our own mission to reflect Jesus to others, we may face opposition, but His fire also lights up our spirit with passion and love. A sense of purpose is the healthiest mindset for an overall sense of well being in every human being. We all need to find our purpose, because we have been set apart to shine His light to those around us.
Lord, thank you for setting us apart, especially the many young people who are turning toward you. We trust and hope for a brighter future, as you help all of us to be reflections of Christ to this world. Amen
