Why should you use your purpose and gifts to serve right where you are? Are you wasting them by using and operating in them in a place you don’t feel called to? Remember, God knows where you are. He put you there for a reason. And that reason is to walk out your purpose through your unique calling, even if it doesn’t feel like “your place”.
Your gifts were given to you, I believe, before you were born. God had a purpose for you, just like Esther. Esther was created, scripture tells us for such a time as this. Those were Mordecai’s words in Esther 4:14 to Esther when she questioned going before the king without being summoned. Mordecai told her that if she didn’t step up, God would find someone that would.
Perhaps you were created for such a time as this. I believe that as Christians we are created for our time in history. We are given a purpose. We are gifted to walk in our place of service for such a time as this.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us, “For we are God's handiwork created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God prepared in advance for you to walk out your purpose. He has prepared you in advance with your gifting. You were prepared to do what you've been called to do right now.
Too often, we're in a job that we don't care about. Or we're in a job that just does not feed us, a job that we don't really care for. Or in a job that we don't really want. So, what did we do? That whole time we are in that job, what do most of us do? We look for an exit strategy.
I did this in every job I had. As soon as I went back to work in 2007, I started looking for an exit strategy. How can I get out of the job I have? What should I have done Instead? I should have looked to serve right where I was. There were so many people around me who needed what the Lord had given me, but instead of looking for them and how to serve them, I looked for a way out.
Not looking for how we can serve right where we are, where God has placed us, with what He has given us, is not honoring God. I Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others as faithful stewards. of God's grace in its various forms.”
So, the gifts you have received should be used to serve. To serve where you are. You are to serve your customers , you are called to serve your employer, and you are called to serve your co-workers.
Serve where you are and do what you're called to do. And when you do this, you will walk out your calling in grace and love. That is so important. Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not as one of the masters since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Remember that you're not serving man, but you're serving the Lord in what you're doing.
Please remember that your purpose and gifts were given to you before you were born. I firmly believe that you have a purpose and a calling. Stop looking for the exit door. Stop looking for ways out and start looking for ways to serve where you are right now. And wherever you are, serve with grace and love.
Last, don’t discount the gifts you have been given. Because when you do and you don't use them, to the extent that God has given you to use them, you're not walking out your purpose and calling in the service God's given you to do. You are not only discounting God, but you're robbing others of a great experience that they could have in learning from you and working with you.
With Purpose,
Cindy
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