889: Call Your Own Number

This week, we resume our series titled "Put Me In, Coach," which is designed to help you overcome your hesitation or fear of volunteering or enthusiastically embracing your purpose and creativity. You can catch up on my past entries here before we move on this week's topic "Calling Your Own Number." Let's go there now.

IT'S NOT PRIDE    

I was at a wedding last night and met the father of the bride who is a medical doctor. He is in the Navy Reserves and every chance he gets, he volunteers to go to danger zones in Afghanistan or some other war-torn area to serve as a surgeon. I did not get a chance to talk to him much, but I heard from others that the only reason he was home at this time was because his daughter was getting married.

This man was calling his own number, which is a sports term to describe when someone puts themselves in a game without being asked to go in (They say, "Number 24, you're in," and they wear number 24). It can also refer to when a player designates that they and no one else will take the important shot or kick at a crucial time in the game. The doctor I met was calling his own number when he decided he was going to serve rather than waiting to be called upon to serve.

It isn't pride for him to do so, nor is it pride when you do the same thing in your area of expertise, gifting, or purpose. In fact, there are many biblical examples of those who volunteered when they saw situations they knew they could address or help, and they did so without necessarily waiting for an invitation.

EXAMPLES

Here are some biblical examples I can identify of calling-your-own-number actions:

1. In 1 Samuel 17, David volunteered to take on Goliath. If you read the account, at no point are we told that the Lord spoke to David to fight. David came, assessed the situation, reviewed his past success killing lions and bears, and said, "I will fight Goliath."
2. We saw in the first installment in this series that Isaiah responded in Isaiah 6:1-8 to the Lord's question, "Who will go for us" by saying, "Here am I, send me!"
3. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:1, "Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task." Paul did not write, "If you want to be an overseer, you need to curb your ambitions and wait on the Lord." He said it was a good thing and then went on to describe the characteristics one would need to cultivate to become that overseer.
4. While the army of Israel was paralyzed with fear, in 1 Samuel 14 we are told how Jonathan decided to climb the cliffs and lead the army to victory. He was so uncertain of his idea that he said "perhaps" the Lord would deliver them and then asked for a sign to confirm his idea.
5. Paul did not advise the Corinthians to only look to Jesus. He wrote, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul drew attention to himself as a good role model to follow for those who were under his authority.
6. When Lydia came to the Lord in Acts 16:11-40, she insisted that Paul and his traveling party stay with her at her home. Later, she was a source of encouragement and provision for Paul as he traveled to other venues.
7. When Nabal lived up to his name that meant "fool," his wife Abigail quickly prepared a picnic for David and his men and interceded on her husband's behalf. The Lord didn't tell her to do that. She acted quickly and prevented David from seeking revenge (see 1 Samuel 25).

My point in offering these examples is to prove that God is not offended when you step up and call your own number. When you see an orphan and say, "i will feed them," God is pleased. When you see a need and have the resources and skill to make a difference to fill it, God is not threatened. I have established several libraries in Kenya, collecting books and shipping them over at great expense. The Lord did not tell me to do this, but my partners in Kenya asked if I could help, and I figured that God must have sent them and called my own number to say, "I'll help."

In what area of your life are you ready to play the game? Where is there an opening on a team where you can step forward to say, "I can help. I'll serve." Wherever or whatever it is, I urge you to call your own number and put yourself in the game, then go about winning in that area for the glory of God. Have a blessed week!

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MATCHING GRANT FOR KENYA: I depart for Kenya this coming Thursday, February 14. I have an individual who has offered a $1,500 matching grant for the orphans there, meaning that they will match every donation up to $1,500 so I will have $3,000 to take with me. Can you give toward this great opportunity? If you, please give through my website or by sending a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882. Thank you!

ISRAEL TOUR: My tour to Israel is coming up in April, 2020, and will include an optional side trip to Jordan to visit Petra. If you are interested, please check out the website and register today. Give yourself a special gift this Christmas you will never forget.

ALASKA CRUISE: Looking for a unique vacation for you and your family? Then come cruise Alaska with me in August 2019. I have been to Alaska many times and it never gets old, for there are natural wonders to behold at every stop and along the way. Check out the website and then plan on being with me as we cruise the wilderness and talk about purpose.