January 9, 2023

The Calling to All

“He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.”  John 1:8 (NASB)

             When I was young, I used to watch a television series names “CHIPS.” It was about the California Highway Patrol Motorcycle Unit. The two policemen rode motorcycles while they were on duty handling various differing calls for service. And man could they ride those motorcycles. Little did I know that many times they didn’t show the truck these bikes were mounted on for the scenes of them riding side by side. They saved a lot of lives and that made me want to help and save people too! They also had time off-duty where they did all kinds of fun stuff too. They had it all I thought! As a result, Law Enforcement later became my career field because it registered with me from such an early age. I never knew then what I would see some 25 years later in the field. There were some really rewarding times and several really awful times, but I would do it again if I could just save a few more. John the Baptist knew that as well.

             When the apostle John wrote this passage, he was referring to John the Baptist who was called by God to testify of the Savior’s coming. John the Baptist told people there would be One who would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11) coming soon. John became a representative for Jesus Christ, but he was not God. He became an agent of belief to God’s forgiveness. Jesus was that object of belief. His calling by God was clear though, and he was willing to die for his calling. His testifying even occurred within a prison cell.

             As a child, I had no idea that each of the CHIPS officers put their lives on the line each day. I kind of thought their lives were a day job and then they went home. When I got into law enforcement, I found it too was a 24-hour life. John the Baptist also knew when he submitted to God’s calling upon his life, it too was a 24-hour life. He had a much better calling though than merely serving his community. He served a great and mighty God who had a plan for mankind. God’s plan was for him to testify of the good news of a coming Savior. Mine only was to protect and serve those around me and occasionally testify for the State of Florida.

  Don’t get me wrong though, law enforcement is a wonderful service to the community and career for many dedicated men and women. It saves lives every day, but Jesus saves lives for eternity not just tomorrow. I know Christian law enforcement officers who have opportunities each day to testify of the saving power of Christ each day. They get what I call the best of two worlds.

  Today recognize that if you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, you too have a 24-hour calling upon your life. It’s not just a Sunday Service duty. It is 24-hours a day. Yours though, is a little different in some respects to John the Baptist. He testified to the Savior’s coming. Yours is to testify that He came and provides His saving grace that is available to all. Yours is to tell people that Jesus is coming back one day too. So today, don’t look at your Christian life as something that is just a part-time or weeklong job. It’s not. It’s a 24-hour calling “to testify about the Light.”

  P. S. I used to keep a sticker in the back seat of my patrol car that said, “Your life isn’t over yet.” It provoked quite a few interesting discussions for the Lord…