Why does the ringing of an unanswered phone bother us so much? You would think it was a crying baby. We feel guilty if we don’t stop and pick it up.

Not long ago a phone booth located in the desert many miles from civilization made national news. For some reason this lonely booth and it’s phone number was mentioned in a major newspaper. Soon its phone began ringing. People from around the country began calling. The phone would ring and ring, but there was no one to answer. 

One day someone answered. A traveler who just happened to stop at this desolate location noticed the ringing phone and picked it up. Before long this traveler was as famous as the booth. You see, as long as the phone kept on ringing, this person felt compelled to answer. By the time I heard the story, this individual had been camped out at this phone booth for days. I wonder if he is still there?

We Christians can be compared to that traveler. We heard a ringing phone and stopped to answer. The ringing phone was when we heard the message of the Gospel– that Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. To our surprise, when we answered, the person on the other end of the line was God.

Unfortunately, as we all know, God is not the only one calling to us. In fact, sometimes it seems that our phones are ringing off the hook with different offers. There is nothing new about this. The Apostle Paul once wrote to some early Christians, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different Gospel” (Galatians 1:6 New American Standard Bible). 

You see, we were not called by legalistic works, but by grace. We are to trust in God’s power, not our own. Paul reminded Timothy, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me His prisoner; but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity” (2 Timothy11:8-9).

Paul was not the only Apostle to understanding that God saves us by grace. Peter explained it this way, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them (God’s power and promises) you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust’ ( 2 Peter 12-4).

Yet different gospels are not our only danger. We can also be drawn away from God by the call of our own lusts. It may be sex, drugs, alcohol, or money. All are equally dangerous. Paul warned Timothy, “But flee from these things (worldly lusts), you man of God; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:10-12).

Jesus once gave a message through the Apostle John to seven churches (Revelation chapter 2 & 3). Although to each church He had something different to say, there was one thing Jesus said to all seven churches: “He who has an ear, let him hear”.

You see, like that booth in the desert, heavens phone is ringing and ringing. Some of us pass it by, some of us answer it and leave, and others of us end up camping out beside it. 

Which will you be?