Mother Teresa seemingly answered the ultimate call according to the world’s standards. She gave up a teaching position at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta to work among those whose poverty is beyond imagination. During the latter years of her life, she was hailed and honored by heads of states, won a Nobel Peace Prize, and still managed to minister to the poor of Calcutta. This woman was an example of someone who gave up all for the call that she had on her life. When someone does what Mother Teresa did, it impresses people, and they begin to take note of that person’s life. The problem is we think a lifestyle that takes a vow of poverty and sacrifice is the ultimate call a person can have. Some of you good evangelical brothers and sisters might be saying to yourself, “Mother Teresa was Roman Catholic.” Uh, yeah, but she loved Jesus and was one of the best examples I know of that knew what it meant to serve Him. If you have a problem with Mother Teresa, please get a life.

The ultimate call is God’s invitation to accept the free gift of salvation through His Son Jesus. The apostle Paul writes, “Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.” Paul’s call was to be an apostle, yet he encourages the Romans that they also have been “called to belong to Jesus.”

Belonging to Jesus is seen perfectly in his words that portray a loving shepherd, “My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me.” People want to belong. Belonging is a natural desire to be accepted into a group, community, or a culture. Some might confuse this with peer pressure, but peer pressure comes from outside the confines of the heart, while the need to belong comes from within. While we accept and do what is necessary to belong, we are moving further away from God’s ultimate call for our lives.

As I have already stated, the ultimate call is giving up your life for another. Mother Teresa did just that, but we must remember, she did it because she loved and served Jesus, not because she was the Savior of the world. She was a great woman and a great example and leader to the people of the twentieth century. She never called out to people to deny themselves and follow her, but she did call out by her life and words to “deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow Jesus.” That is the ultimate call, to deny self and follow Jesus. It is not about taking a vow of poverty or moving to Calcutta. That was Mother Teresa’s life mission. Your life mission will be totally different, but the call is the same. It is to know the one who created you, who loves you and who is calling you to follow Him.