Everyday is a day of preparation for your calling. You can use the time to prepare or you can simply consume it on your ego. The choice is yours. Our gifts are like magnets and they draw resources to us needed for them to develop and operate. Astute parents will observe those gifts in their children and encourage their development. Other parents will simply live their life through their children without regard for the unique gifts given to each.
Throughout Scripture we are given examples of preparation for the calling. Joseph, the son of Jacob, was an example. At seventeen, he was given a glimpse of his calling. In his immaturity he boasted among his brethren. Do you think that was the first time he boasted? I would suggest his personality had already irritated his brothers and this was simply the latest example of his youthful arrogance. He was already a good looking teenager and probably favored by Jacob. The next 13 years of his life would be spent preparing him for his call. What day would he finally ascend to his calling?
When he had been thrown into the pit, how do you think he felt about his calling then? When he had been sold to the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver, how did this prepare him? Joseph’s story is full of setbacks and hardships and each was designed to prepare him to be Zaphnath-Paaneah, Treasurer of the Glorious Rest. To be the treasurer of the known world, you must be fully prepared to steward over such a great trust. Was Joseph ready at the age of seventeen? Obviously not. It was needful for him to be severely tested and have all of those character flaws removed from him. In his particular case, he had to be thrown into a foreign prison without any contact with his family. He had to forsaken by his loved ones. He had to be falsely accused without recourse. Most of all, he had to be able to genuinely forgive. Joseph had to learn and walk in unconditional love to become treasurer. Yes, it was important for Joseph to have other qualities as well. We call those gifts. To be a treasurer you need to understand mathematics, accounting, value of assets, etc. However to be treasurer for a kingdom, the most important requirement you need is Love, all others qualities are secondary. Love insures that your actions will be directed toward the people you serve, not consumed on “self”. You will be loyal to your calling because you are willing to give your life for your brethren.
Over the last four decades, I have encountered many people who were convinced they had a financial calling. Often, it was their ego speaking and hoping that if they confessed it enough their confession would come to pass. Faith comes by hearing the Word of Our Heavenly Father. If HE didn’t speak it to you, don’t expect it to come to pass. The call to treasurer is not really a glamorous call. Yes, there is momentary situations of excitement. When I was twenty-one I was completing my college degree and had begun working part-time at the largest bank in the state. Over the Christmas holidays I worked extra hours in Commercial Receiving where the bank vault was located. One of my duties was to count the vault cash. It contained over $5 million in cash. This was 1972 when $5 million was a lot of money. I was initially excited about being around so much money. After about the fifth time of counting the vault, it became simply stacks of paper.
About ten years ago, I found myself sitting in an office in Geneva Switzerland working on a cash deal of $275 million. Myself and two other gentlemen had been given the opportunity to invest the cash into certain investments not offered to the public. In this arena greed is at its zenith. Once it was found that the people we were dealing with might remove any roadblocks with extreme prejudice, I suddenly realized that the calling of treasurer was not as glamorous or exciting as I had pictured. The higher the stakes, the more exposure to personal risks. Unless Our Heavenly Father calls you, you do not want to walk among the wolves. This is why it is so important to stay in your calling and don’t try to assume someone else’s. As you prepare each day to walk in your calling, Our Heavenly Father will protect you from certain disaster just as HE did for me.
No matter what day your calling begins, you should treat every day as a day of preparation. If you do nothing else, Love somebody!