Ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price. 1 Cor. 6:19, 20.

Being a true Christian is not a matter of preference. One may prefer one book above another, one kind of food above another, one game above another. We all have preferences. But to acknowledge God's lordship is more than a personal preference. When receiving a call to visit the President of the United States, or when given a presidential assignment for one's country, there is an extra plus involved: inescapable responsibility and personal destiny.

God redeemed and bought us with His blood. Our lives are henceforth not our own. We are part of His plan. The nature of our response affects every part of life's purpose. His call should be listened to with reverence and respect—it is the Lord of the universe who addresses us. The invitation is a gracious act on God's part. God is perfectly sincere; our response should be the same. Many voices call to us day by day. Often we are attracted by them in a way that makes us neglect the call of God.

Arthur was a genius with radio. This hobby absorbed most of his time and most of his money. The skill and facility he had inherited worked out much to his advantage. But he had no time to pray or study the Word of God. Grudgingly he came to church. He had his heart in the wrong place. There is nothing wrong with radio, but this was his central and all-absorbing interest. Finally he drifted away from Christ.

William Carey, who became the first great missionary to India, was a shoe-repair man. But his primary interest was the spread of the gospel. It was said of him that he cobbled shoes only to pay expenses. Paul was a good tentmaker for the same reason.

A man should take heed to his vocation in which he can work diligently and successfully. A man's talents should inspire him to do his best. At the same time a Christian lives to the glory of God and bears witness to the Lord who died to save him. Failure to acknowledge this reveals a serious defect in character. Whatever our talents and skills, we are partners with the God of heaven, who made us all we have and are. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21).