Calling and Purpose 4—Freedom, Equality, and Unity
In each generation, there are people whose calling and purpose are about freedom, equality, and unity. Notable examples include Moses, Abraham Lincoln, Sojourner Truth, William Wilberforce, John Newton, Susan B. Anthony, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Each of them was passionate for the cause, but also had to struggle against doubts, opposition, and set-backs. Consequences for following their calling ranged from frustrations and rejection to martyrdom.
Moses
In the book of Exodus, we read that the Hebrew people were being oppressed by those who had once provided them land and shelter. The Pharaoh who had promoted Joseph to the position of second in command of Egypt was long gone. Hundreds of years have elapsed. The now-numerous Hebrew people are enslaved—and oppressed--by a new Pharaoh who uses them as forced labor.
Into this moment in history, Moses is born—to faithful, daring parents who manage to save his life by giving him away. Moses is raised by Pharaoh’s daughter—in a life of privilege, education, and training. Yet, he intervenes to save an Israelite from being beaten—killing the Egyptian in the process. When he flees to Midian to save his own life, he again intervenes to rescue young shepherdesses from the shepherds who were mistreating them.
Moses’ impulses seem to run along the lines of fighting for freedom for the oppressed. However, when the Lord Himself appears to Moses in the burning bush and calls him to go back to Egypt to rescue the Hebrews from their suffering, Moses balks. He claims he’s not important enough, not savvy enough, without influence with his people, without power, and unable to speak clearly or persuasively. The NIV translation of Moses’ almost-final response to God Almighty in Exodus 4:13 is “Please send someone else.”
We all know that Moses does eventually obey the Lord and go. At the age of eighty, he leads the Israelites out of Egypt and during their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. This involves highs like God parting the Red Sea to spare their lives and food falling daily from heaven (manna) and lows like constant grumbling on the part of the people—about everything from the water to the food to the unpredictability of it all. Moses himself gets fed up with “these people” (Exodus 17:4) or as God calls them these “stiff-necked people” (Exodus 32:9). And, in the end, after Moses has fulfilled his purpose to participate in this great God-rescue project, Joshua is the one who leads the nation into the Promised Land.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln’s passion was learning and then the Law. He became a U.S. Congressman and, most famously, President of the United States, presiding over the nation during the Civil War. He was staunchly committed to the unity of the States. He signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In his famous Gettysburg Address, he is most remembered for re-stating that “all men are created equal”—emphasizing all—black and white, slave and free. His advocacy for the rights of African Americans was a flashpoint that angered his murderer to assassinate him.
Sojourner Truth
During the U.S. Civil War, Sojourner Truth, an African-American born into slavery, escaped to freedom. She became a Union Army recruiter and one who helped other slaves find freedom. She was an itinerant minister as well as becoming active in the women’s rights movement. Themes of rescue, release, and rights of all were her life’s work.
William Wilberforce
Years before the U.S. Civil War, across the Atlantic in England, William Wilberforce became a member of Parliament. Soon thereafter, he became a follower of Jesus and, as his life changed, so did his priorities. He became an abolitionist, and for twenty years led the effort to eradicate slavery in the British Empire. His life’s work was realized just three days before he died: the peaceful abolition of slavery in Great Britain.
John Newton
A contemporary of Wilberforce, John Newton was a slave-ship captain who was himself enslaved and mistreated. Once rescued, he had a significant conversion to Jesus. As a result, he turned from his slave-trading past to become an evangelical clergyman in the Anglican church. He is most known for being the author of the hymn Amazing Grace.
Susan B. Anthony
A contemporary of Abraham Lincoln and Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony was a Quaker committed to social reform. First an anti-slavery campaigner (beginning at the age of 17), then an African American rights activist, in later years her focus included women’s rights and ultimately successfully campaigning for women’s suffrage (although legislation passed after her death).
Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Baptist minister, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. became an anti-war activist and a pivotal civil rights leader. He was a courageous and vocal advocate for equal rights for people of color through non-violence, ultimately becoming a martyr for that cause.
These freedom leaders seem to have also shared similar spiritual gifts: leadership, apostleship, prophecy, most likely. Throughout their lives, they each became increasingly committed to the causes of unity, freedom, and equality—no matter the cost to themselves. Their calling and purpose—their passion—is what determined their steps. Everything that came before that clarity was training for the next thing—God used it all to shape them, mold them, and form the character they would each need for the journey of living into their calling. And, all of their later efforts were rooted in faith in Jesus—the author and perfecter and empowerer of their motivations.
Is your passion similar? Is your purpose authored and empowered by Jesus?
See the Old Testament Book of Exodus, archives.gov, BibleGateway, mylearning.org, womenshistory.org, abrahamlincolnonline.org, study.com, Wikipedia for more on each of these biographies.
Additional Resources:
· Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog: https://godgiftsyou.com/blog/
· Downloadable Resources: https://godgiftsyou.com/resources/
o See Sample List of Interest Areas; Your Spiritual Gifts—A Study Guide; Knowing Your Unique Calling and Purpose Study Guide; Whole-Life Ministry: A Form of Worship, Grace-Giving, and Living into Your Calling.
· Spiritual Gifts Assessment: https://godgiftsyou.com/assessment/
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and law enforcement leadership for over 30 years. Shirley has been EquipConnectServe Director at First Pres Boulder since 1999. She has worked with leaders and organizations in 47 of the United States as well as having clients outside the U.S. Contact Shirley.