You know, I do think we all have a purpose on this earth. The reason we have skills and talents, and passions are so that we can serve the greater community, earn a living, and also live life. I have seen in my own life that sometimes we hit this mid-life crisis scenario where we question our purpose. I have shared in one of my previous posts about starting small. Very recently, I have felt the same. I was wondering what I have to offer. Why has God let me get all this way? Now I think that I am not good enough.
You see, as a Pastor, you suppose to have everything together. People presume we always know what to do, and man, I am always reading, meditating and running around figuring out how to help. The problem is that I end up feeling like a failure. You feel inadequate. But the Holy Spirit and the reason why I love doing life with the Holy Spirit is that He can guide us to understand He called us all to minister, but not in the way we think but in the way God wants to.
We must understand that God called US ALL to spread the good news of salvation. It is not meant for a particular group of people only but for all. So I want to help in the next couple of blogs by sharing how you and I can be effective disciples of Jesus. This brings me to my first point:
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What purpose do you have in Christ?
You see, if we read the beginning part of Luke, we can see that John was chosen before he was even born for what he was called to do here on earth. He did not get the calling after he was somehow proven to be worthy. He did not receive a different calling; no it was already predestined on what he was supposed to do on this earth. He did not make himself unworthy or receive a new role. No, God already decided.
Look at Luke 1:15-17 (HCSB) For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb.16 He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.17 And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah,to turn the hearts of fathers to their children,and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.
The angel’s words show that John would fulfil Malachi 4:5-6, in which the Lord promised to send Elijah. John, then, would preach in the spirit and power of his Old Testament predecessor, as we read in Luke 1:17.
Some significant aspects of John's character at birth were given to him.
1. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. “From birth” is literally “from his mother’s womb.” When Mary visited Elizabeth before John was born, the baby leapt into her womb. The ministry of the Holy Spirit was essential to Luke, and he often went to great lengths to show His empowering and enabling ministry. John’s parents were filled with the Spirit (Luke 1:41, 67).
5. Many of the people of Israel would he bring back to ... God. Crowds of Israelites did turn to the Lord through John’s ministry (Matt. 3:5-6; Mark 1:4-5).
6. He will go on before the Lord. John the Baptist was the Lord’s forerunner, announcing His coming in the spirit and power of Elijah. Luke here referred to two passages in Malachi which speak of messengers: a messenger was to be sent to clear the way before the Lord (Mal. 3:1), and Elijah’s return was promised before the day of the Lord (Mal. 4:5-6) to restore the hearts of the fathers to their children. Zechariah understood that the angel was identifying John the Baptist with the messenger in Malachi 3:1, for in his song of praise, he noted that John would “go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him” (Luke 1:76; cf. 3:4-6). Jesus affirmed that John fulfilled Malachi 3:1 (Matt. 11:10) and stated that John would have fulfilled Malachi 4:5-6 if the people had accepted his message (Matt. 11:14).
But here is the problem for us we put more emphasis on our performance than on God decisions and plans for us.
Let me put it this way. We are sometimes too scared to pray out loud because we cannot pray as pastors can, and we are afraid we will look stupid. Moses was too afraid because of his speech impediment. We do not share the bible cause we do not know enough. (BTW, some of the people I know have been in church for years and know the bible pretty well but are still too afraid.). You see, the devil came and made it all about us and our lack of performance to keep us silent.
But if I look at John, Moses and David and Ruth, to name a few, I think we can say that if God is with us, we do not need to do anything in our own strength.
So what is your passion or talent, or skill? God has given it to you so that you can build the kingdom. Are you a good musician? Well, join a worship team, create music on SoundCloud and share it with the world? Maybe you are good at entrepreneurship. Help those that are vulnerable in your communities and give them the skills. Maybe you are good at cooking, knitting, and fixing. Know that God has put those talents in you, and when you serve Him with those talents, trust in the Holy Spirit and be ready to live out the following words:
1 Peter 3:15 (HCSB)15 but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.
God is calling us all to go out and share the good news. So this brings me to my second point, and you might ask this:
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How can you be faithful to what God has called you to do?
Unlike John the Baptist, we don’t always know what God has called us to do. There are two types of callings: general and specific. A general calling is a calling that all Christians are commanded to perform—love God and others. A specific calling is one unique to everyone—like John the Baptist. The key, then, is always to pursue God’s general calling on your life and be faithful to His present, specific calling. You may not know what you’ll be doing in ten years, but you can have a specific calling at your school today.
We first need to understand that before we even look to be faithful to what God has called. God chooses to use the unqualified for His work, so no man can boast about their achievements. We read this in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 (HCSB). Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 28 God has chosen what is insignificant and despised in the world — what is viewed as nothing — to bring to nothing what is viewed as something, 29 so that no one can boast in His presence.
This means if I can illustrate this. If you have low self-esteem, come from humble beginnings, or have experienced significant struggles. Then you already have a testimony of what God has done in your life. If you are a child of God through Jesus Christ, it’s not because of who you are but despite it.
I have seen that the best drug counsellors were drug addicts that came clean and the same with Alcohol counsellors. I have seen married couples who went through dark and difficult times become the best marriage counsellors. The reason they have a testimony. It’s essential to be content with the role God has called you to. It would have never worked if John stood in the shadow of Jesus, grumbling about his dream to be the Messiah. In the same way, we can become jealous of someone else’s role in the body of Christ. Only God can boast not us.
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We are one Body
We read this in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27:
1 Corinthians 12:27 (HCSB)27 Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.
This verse reminds us that we are all members of one body, each member having a unique role to play. No one is insignificant or unimportant in the body of Christ. It emphasizes the importance of using our spiritual gifts for the common good rather than for personal benefit or achievement. This can be a source of motivation and purpose for believers as they seek to serve others through their gifts. It highlights the diversity of spiritual gifts and the fact that no skill is more valuable than another.
This can help to create a sense of unity and appreciation for the varied roles and contributions of different members in the body of Christ. It reminds us that the body of Christ functions best when all members are using their gifts and working together. This can encourage believers to use their talents faithfully and to seek out opportunities to serve others in the body.
This means we all have a role to play all of us a part to play in the good news of Jesus Christ. The Bible also said that all believers would have spiritual gifts in these verses. Spiritual gifts are given to believers by the Holy Spirit to build up and serve the body of Christ. There are many different spiritual gifts.
No gift is more important or valuable than another. Spiritual gifts are not given for personal enjoyment or fulfilment but rather for the benefit of others. We all need to use our spiritual gifts to serve one another and to build up the body of Christ 1 Corinthians 12:27 teaches that we are all members of one body, each member having a unique role to play. The body can function effectively and accomplish its mission through the diversity of spiritual gifts. Believers should seek to discover their spiritual gifts and use them faithfully for the benefit of others.
We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbours as ourselves.
In addition to this ultimate purpose, the Bible also teaches that God has specific plans and purposes for each individual. These plans may be revealed through the spiritual gifts God has given us as we read in verse above, the unique talents and abilities He has given us, and the specific circumstances and opportunities He has placed in our lives.
To find your specific purpose in life, it is essential to Seek God and His will:
1. Spend time in prayer and the Word of God, asking Him to reveal His plans and purposes for your life.
2. Seek counsel from godly mentors and trusted advisors: Surround yourself with people who can offer wisdom and guidance as you seek to discover your purpose.
3. Take steps to discover and develop your talents and abilities: Identify the things you are naturally good at and are passionate about, and seek opportunities to use them to serve others and glorify God.
4. Be open to new opportunities: Keep an open mind and be willing to consider new opportunities that may come your way, even if they are not what you had initially planned. Trust in God. Remember that God controls your life, and His plans are good. Trust Him to lead you and guide you in His perfect timing.
In my next post, we will examine how to point people to Jesus. I have seen that in Ministry, it gets muddled as we sometimes make the Pastor the saviour instead of Jesus and point to a pastor rather than Jesus. So I would love to break it down to how we point people to Jesus rather than to anybody or ourselves.
