“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14 (RSV)
Every journey in Christ begins with sincere prayers and a heart that is ever changing according to God’s upward calling. Our response to the upward call of God is a life long one. When we think about it, God has kept each one of us under His wing of protection in order to bring us this far, at this precise time for whatever His divine purpose is in our lives.
There is so much that we have no control over in this world, but we can always control our attitude.
St. Augustine said “If you aspire to great things, begin with the little things.” If the intent of our heart is to seek God’s will, and our attitude is to pursuit His upward call, then that attitude is the little thing that we can begin with.
When I was 20 years old, I visited a church and there was a woman there, a widow in her sixties, named Leona. She was a long time parishioner, who greeted and spoke to every visitor, long before official “Greeters” were assigned to do so. She radiated with warmth and an unforgettable presence, as if she just came down from the same mountain that Moses did, when his face was so radiant that others were afraid to look at him.
Leona had that same “other world”kind of glow, and when she looked into my eyes, I knew she was looking into my soul. She radiated the presence of God in a way that left me impressed by both her holiness, and God’s love. She was blessed with many spiritual gifts, and she used them freely to impart words of wisdom to people, in whatever way she felt led. I will never forget how her face literally glowed.
Leona spoke to me one day, with a simple message about God wanting to take more precedence in my life. It was both frightening and awesome, but afterward I had no doubt that the Spirit of God was speaking to me, while revealing His love through her. She inspired me to pursue a deeper kind of faith, instead of settling for good enough. Leona went on to be with the Lord in 2001, at the age of 88, but the memory of her radiant love and wisdom still remains with me.
There is an upward call of God to all believers, to give ourselves to God in pursuit of whatever heavenly goal lies ahead for us. It’s easy to see so much turmoil and chaos in the world, but we must remember to keep raising our eyes upward to God, to listen to His words.
God’s upward call is to people of all nations, saying;
“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
(2 Chronicles 7:14)
We are called by His name and our land definitely needs healing of its wicked ways, so we embrace God’s words, seek humility, and pray for healing. Meanwhile, we continue to find inner peace by taking refuge in Him, as we press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Lord, thank you for keeping us safe in these present times, so that we may fulfill our purpose and calling. Help us to keep looking upward, to seek humility and pray for the healing of our nation. Amen
Leona’s son is a well known Christian artist today. One of Ron Dicianni’s many paintings is shown below.
