Serving where we have been called

To this John replied, ‘A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.’ John 3: 27

John the Baptist’s disciples were getting very concerned with what appeared to be the rising popularity of Jesus at the expense of John’s ministry. People were leaving John to follow Jesus. John explained to them that you can only operate in the gifting and calling that God has given you. This is what he was doing; preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah so when he arrived, John’s role would inevitably diminish.

He encouraged them that when the bridegroom (Jesus) arrived, the bride (believers) had eyes only for him because they belong to him. The groomsman or ‘friend’ is ‘full of joy’ when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. John is the ‘friend’ and now he has heard the bridegroom’s voice, his joy is complete (John 3: 28 – 30).

John understood his calling and was content with his role in preparing the way for the Messiah. He understood we can only do what we have received from heaven. This is such a valuable lesson for us too to learn.  There will be times when others appear on the ascendancy or when others take over things we have been doing. We, however, are called to do what God has called us to do which may mean laying down areas of service or taking up new things.

One thing is certain, all gifts and ministry come from God and are given as the Spirit determines (I Corinthians 13: 11). It is foolish to try and do what God has not called or equipped us for. Walking in the centre of God’s plans is a place of great fulfilment and contentment. Longing for a different gifting or ministry outside of God’s anointing is a place of discouragement that can lead to great disappointment. 

Thank God for the gifting he has given and seek to serve faithfully in what God has called you to do.  ‘Hold it lightly’– it is not yours but something God has entrusted to you. It is an honour to serve God.

Great things for God

“My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. John 4: 34

There is something in the heart of many Christians and churches to do something great for God. We know God is a great God and does great things and so we slip into a mindset that says we too need to do something great for our God. It will show how much we love him. However this thinking has a fatal flaw in it because God has never asked us to do great things for him but to do great things with him. There is a huge difference.

Doing great things for God can lead to a life independent of God.  God has not called us to live our lives without him unless we cannot manage – he wants us to live our lives dependent on him. This can be a very hard concept for us to accept because many people fear becoming mindless idiots unable to think or do anything for ourselves. However God wants us to use our God given brains and gifting in conjunction with him. We see dependence on God as limiting us but God sees dependence on him as expanding our lives beyond anything we can ask or imagine. If we are dependent on what we can think or imagine, limits soon become obvious. When we give our brains and talents to God for him to use, the limits disappear.

God wants us to do great things with him. He has wonderful plans for our lives but it means we have to stop trying to do something great for God and instead ask him what he is doing. That is what Jesus did – not his own thing but what the Father was doing. As Wayne Jacobsen says, ‘I used to start my day laying out my plans before God and seeking his blessing on them. How silly! Why would I want God to be the servant of my agenda? God’s plans for my day far exceed mine. I can almost hear him now as I awaken: “Wayne, I’m going to touch some people today. Do you want to come along?”

It’s amazing how gentle that is, but all the more powerful because it is.  I don’t have to go. God’s work won’t be thwarted by my lack of participation. He will touch people anyway, but I wouldn’t miss it for the world. He does things I’ve never dreamed of and uses me in ways I could never conceive. His focus on touching people instead of managing programs has revolutionized my view of ministry. It requires no less diligence on my part but directs that diligence in far more fruitful endeavours.