So often I listen to a great speaker or read a great book or hear about someone doing something amazing and think "Wow, if only I was a good enough Christian I would be like them."
It's easy to think that great leaders, speakers, writers, evangelists etc have somehow 'earned' their position by their effort. This is not to belittle their effort, obedience and faith. But unless God called them to the job, they couldn't do it.
Joseph in prison couldn't make himself ruler of Egypt. He just faithfully served in whatever ways he could in his circumstances.
As Jesus travelled around, the Bible mentions some women by name who went along and helped meet his needs. But some of them are just referred to as 'and the other women; and we know nothing more about them.
Were they fulfilling God's call on their lives? Yes!
Was their call to be famous? No!
Was their work and service important and significant in God's eyes? Yes!
The widow with two mites is famous, although we don't know her name. God honoured her in this way because the rest of her life was lived loving and trusting God and all of that lead to the moment that is recorded in Scripture.
Yet how many other widows have there been that have never had their story told down here but will receive great reward and recognition in Heaven because of their great faith, trust, love and service of the Lord in the small unseen things He called them to.
I'm realising I need to stop seeing Christian leaders as 'better' than 'ordinary' Christians. Christian leaders are simply Christians following God's calling for them to be leaders. But God does not call all 'good' Christians to be leaders.
Christian leaders didn't earn or deserve the 'right' to their position.
Paul says at the beginning of Ephesians:
'This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.' Ephesians 1:1
What he's saying is: I didn't choose to be an apostle. It is what God chose for me.
Some of the mostly godly women I know have no position of leadership but humbly, quietly serve the Lord in many hidden and unseen ways.
God wants people in all different situations of life to be able to minister to all sorts of different people.
Don't strive for a 'better' calling. Accept the gifts, limitations and situations God has given you for now and serve Him in that.
When God told Samuel to anoint Saul as king, Saul was looking for his father's donkeys. In fact he'd spent three days looking and was at the point of giving up trying to find them. Not exactly thrilling stuff. But when God decided Saul would be king, God gave Saul the anointing and gifting to the king:
1 Samuel 10:6-9 'The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you . . . you will be changed into a different person . . . do whatever your hand finds to do for God is with you . . . God changed Saul's heart.'
God called Saul. He gave Saul his Holy Spirit. He changed Saul's heart.
Saul's part? 'Do whatever your hand finds to do'
Don't try to be someone you're not. Accept the calling, anointing, equipping and provision God has given you for the place you are in right now and situation you are in. Just do what God gives you to do. Serve Him faithfully in that.
When it is His right timing, He will lead you to the next thing.
David was anointed as king but it was 15 very tough years before he actually became king. He demonstrated his understanding of God's calling on his life because he did nothing to try to make himself become king. He just tried to keep serving God and trusting Him through all the things that happened.
What is my calling? It can be many different things, but this is true for us all:
Trust Him in the situation you are in.
Praise Him in the situation you are in.
Serve Him in the situation you are in.
Let Him lead you on the paths He has for your life. It's ok to be you.
Psalm 23: 3
'He leads me along paths of righteousness for His Name's sake.'
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