Called and Set Apart - Part One
God’s Call: Something Bigger, Something Greater
I am an overpacker. I take that honest, ridiculous habit onto planes, trams, and family visits — convinced I might need a rain jacket I never use or hiking boots for a trip that never includes a trail. At the airport in Dallas I caught a glimpse of my reflection and realized how absurd I looked hauling all that weight. That laughable picture is more than a travel confession; it’s a picture of our souls. We convince ourselves that a few more things — more plans, more skills, more control — will finally make life manageable and meaningful, and we keep piling them on until we can barely move.
That tendency shows up in our spiritual lives, too. Romans 7’s honest frustration — wanting to do good but doing what we hate — describes the human way of trying harder instead of trusting deeper. We overprepare, over-rely on our own strength, and let shame or fear shape our identity. The result is exhaustion and restlessness: lives burdened by things that were never meant to be the foundation for who we are. The good news is that the answer isn’t another self-improvement project; it’s a new identity.
Paul gives that new identity in the clearest terms: “My old self has been crucified with Christ…Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). When Christ is alive in you, you are offered a full, complete restoration — shame doesn’t get the last word. The call of God isn’t to gather more baggage but to exchange old burdens for a living, breathing relationship with Jesus. That exchange is the beginning of freedom: skill and effort don’t disappear, but they’re no longer the source of our worth.
In fact, the things we once used as false security — our passions, talents, experiences, even our doubts — can be repurposed by God. He takes what we thought would save us and uses it to serve others: teaching, caring, creating, building, praying. Callings look different across seasons of life; when children grow up, your hands that once chased toddlers might now guide mentees. The point is not perfection in our performance but faithfulness in our response to God’s invitation.
So how do we live into that calling? Jesus gives a simple but demanding answer: abide in him (John 15:5). Abiding shows up as three everyday practices — serve God and others (small acts of love matter), depend on God not yourself (worship, Scripture, and community orient us toward him), and embrace God’s story instead of insisting on our own perfect script (trusting that God’s plot is wiser than ours). These rhythms free us from the anxious, proud ways of the old self and root us in the life of the Spirit.
You are called — not to a life of self-reliance but to a life surrendered to Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). The Spirit equips, fills, and overflows us with hope, peace, and power so ordinary days become sacred work. If you’re ready to step out of the baggage and into your calling, consider praying a simple covenant of surrender: tell God you are no longer your own and invite him to put you where and how he pleases. Let him take your overpacked hands and fill them with the very work he created you to do.
Set Apart: Holiness In You
When we talk about calling, it’s impossible to separate it from holiness. Calling answers the “what” and holiness answers the “how.” Holiness is God’s way of setting us apart — not because we are inherently special, but because He chooses to take ordinary people and use them for extraordinary purposes. In the Old Testament, God set apart bowls, basins, and even oil for His service. They weren’t holy by themselves, but His touch made them holy. In the same way, through Jesus, God sets apart people like you and me for His Kingdom work.
But let’s be honest — holiness often feels inconvenient. It demands change. It disrupts our comfort. Sometimes we treat holiness like it’s an optional upgrade, something for pastors or the “super Christians,” while the rest of us just try to be nice, moral people. The problem is that holiness was never meant to be optional. If you belong to Jesus, then your old self has died, and a new life has been raised in you by the Spirit. That new life is holy because the One who lives in you is holy.
The Bible makes this clear: “But as the one who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:15–16). Holiness isn’t about perfection or living above everyone else — it’s about surrender. It’s about picking up your cross daily and saying, “Lord, I’m Yours. Use me.” Holiness shapes how we think, how we speak, and how we act, even when it means going against the grain of culture or against our own desires.
So, what does being set apart look like practically? It begins with intimacy with Jesus. You cannot grow in holiness apart from Him. From there, holiness will influence how you treat people, how you raise your kids, how you handle your work, and even how you respond to everyday interruptions. Sometimes holiness looks like putting your phone down to invest in your family. Sometimes it looks like choosing kindness when it’s inconvenient. Sometimes it’s simply paying attention to the hurting people God places in your path and being willing to stop and show them the love of Christ.
Holiness isn’t about being a “nice person.” It’s about letting God use your life for His glory. If we reduce holiness to niceness, we miss its purpose entirely. You have been set apart to reflect Christ’s image in a world desperate for hope. And the good news is that holiness isn’t something you achieve — it’s something God works in you as you abide in Him. Every day is another chance to let Him shape you into the image of His Son. When we live set apart, we don’t just carry the name of Christ — we display His presence to the world.