God Calling…
One of my favorite movies from back in the day is The Matrix. The story of Neo’s answer to the call, leaving the dimension he knew and entering another world to learn the truth resonates so much with me. The movie opens with a digitized phone ringing. A conversation follows, in which the words are spoken, “Morpheus believes he is the one.” If you haven’t watched the movie, I will tell you that throughout the movie the characters traveled into and out of the Matrix via phone lines. In order to get from one place to another, you had to be connected to a line or you were stuck. There is a point in Life when we are all faced with the opportunity to answer a life-changing call. Neo’s call was interesting, to say the least.
“Thomas Anderson?”
“Yeah; that’s me.”
FedEX guy hands him a package, telling him, “Have a nice day.”
Thomas Anderson opens the package and sees a mobile phone, which immediately rings.
He answers apprehensively, and a voice says, “Hello, Neo. Do you know who this is?”
Flabbergasted, he responds, “Morpheus.”
“Yesss. I’ve been looking for you, Neo. I don’t know if you’re ready to see what I want to show you, but unfortunately you and I have run out of time.”
Morpheus warns Neo the agents are coming for him. Morpheus knows exactly where they are, and what they want. He guides Neo to escape, saying, “I can guide you, but you must do exactly as I say.” Morpheus proceeds to give Neo specific instructions to stay one step ahead of the agents who are seeking him out. He leads Neo to an office at the end of the hallway, telling him to go out of the window and get onto the scaffolding to escape the agents. Heeding Morpheus’ instructions, Neo climbs out of the window, scared to death, clinging desperately to the side of the building, wondering why he’s listening to this voice on the phone, but sure he wants to escape the agents, and sure the voice can guide him to safety. But he drops the phone, and watching it fall from the height of the scaffolding he actually didn’t even reach, Neo declares, “I can’t do this.”
I wonder what would have happened if Neo didn’t drop that phone. The voice of Morpheus on the other end of the line detailed a course of action he may not have taken on his own. As soon as his connection to Morpheus was lost, he lost hope. In the scene that follows, Neo is being escorted to a car, in the agents’ custody.
How much does Morpheus sound like the voice of God, calling at exactly the right time to guide us out of trouble? The only way out of trouble in Life is to follow the specific instructions of the voice of God. If we lose the connection, we, like Neo, lose hope.
This is a classic example of how God speaks to me. It’s “just a movie” but in so many ways it spoke to my spirit. Thomas Anderson could be any of us, going about our daily lives, doing our jobs, but knowing deep down that something is a little off. We are seeking, asking questions, looking for something, yet not knowing what exactly we are looking for. Then here comes God, in a message on our phone, or email, or social media, giving us direction out of trouble... Leading us to His word that is a light to our path (Psalm 119:105) - being a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). It’s interesting that Morpheus calls Thomas Anderson “Neo”. He calls Neo by the name he identifies with the purpose he sees in him. In the same way God called Gideon a “mighty man of valor” when he was actually hiding in a winepress threshing wheat, acting like anything but mighty (Judges 6:12). God calls us as He sees us. This is how the call of God can get confusing, because what God is calling us to might seem bigger than what we are right now. We might feel confused and ill-equipped, but God knows what He wants to work in and through us and what He has chosen us for, even if we don’t. Knowing that He is equipped to guide us, we like Neo, can climb high up and escape the agents of the enemy - we just need to stay connected. Staying connected to God is what allows us to download all the fulfillment of our destiny requires for us to possess.
The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28-30, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
It doesn’t matter so much how you see yourself. God sees you complete in Him. He’s never wrong. He doesn’t misjudge like we do. Trust Him. He wants to guide you out of confusion and doubt into a place of clarity and power. Despite what you’ve been called all your Life, He has a new name for you. A new name tied to the purpose He has for your Life.
Answer God’s call. Walk in your purpose. He has a plan for you.