There was a
time I longed to drive a car or fly a plane. But perish the hope, I can’t even
drive a luggage trolley. Once at the airport, a man saw me and a trolley coming.
He fled. We chased him down and hit him anyway. It sure doesn’t need a prophet
to tell me I wasn’t meant to be an airline pilot or a bus driver.
Does God
have any use for a woman who can’t even make round dosas but brings them out
shaped like some strange maps? Or who frequently offers her husband burnt
sacrifices? He does!
The call of
some people in history seem to be more obvious, more definite. Thinking of Abraham,
Jacob, Joseph, Moses, the prophets, the apostles and many more may make us feel
they were very special. But then, we are all special to our heavenly Father. We
are told that even the hairs on our heads are counted (Matt.10:30). How then
can we imagine He hasn’t got a role marked out for each of us?
When God told
the Israelites to make the tabernacle, though Bezaleel and Aholiab were named
as leaders of the artisans, Moses said to the rest of the people, “All who are skillful
among you shall come and make all that the Lord has commanded (Ex. 35:10). There
were a great variety of works to be done, and a great number of people with different
skills were required.
Today, God
is in the act of building His kingdom. Each of us is needed to join in the
work. So what is my role in this kingdom building? How do I find the slot I’m
meant for? Some of us have found our niches, working happily. Others are still
unsure. If one is unsure, the obvious thing to do is ask the Father. He is only
too happy to show His will to His children.
However,
given the fact that we are prone to be hard of hearing, prone to have our own
dreams, it may help to re-look at a few pointers here in order to avoid
pitfalls.
Not my
dream, but God’s plan. We may have our own wishes and desires. These may be so strong that we
brainwash ourselves into believing they are God’s plan for us. So we need to
say “Your will, not mine,” and truly mean it.
Thwarted
dreams may be a gateway. Amy Carmichael, an Irish girl, was unhappy with her brown eyes and wanted
to have blue eyes. She prayed hard for it, but her request was not granted. She
grew up and became a missionary to India. She rescued many children sold as
temple slaves, disguising herself as an Indian. Such a disguise would have
been impossible if she had blue eyes.
God gives
the ability for the appointed task. Would a sensible government send its
soldiers to war without weapons? Would someone not trained in surgery operate
on a patient? God equips each person for the tasks they are meant to do.
So, let’s all
serve faithfully in the roles assigned to us!
