“The
Work to Which I Have Called Them” by Melanie Rigney (@melanierigney)
While they were
worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me
Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then, completing
their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them and sent them off. (Acts
13:2-3)
The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. (Psalm 98:2b)
“Just
so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and
glorify your heavenly Father." (Matthew
5:16)
Piety
Lord, help me to remember always that it is You working in me and
others. Help me to set aside my feelings of pride, worthlessness, and envy.
Study
The Spirit
called them out, Barnabas and Paul, for a special mission. They went to
Antioch, Jerusalem, Cyprus, and beyond, preaching and evangelizing and
bolstering the faith of the early Christians. A dispute later would separate
them, but for miles and miles, they carried out that special mission.
The mission
was big, bold, and fraught with significant risk as well as potential rewards.
And in the meantime, many early Christians never left their hometowns. They
stayed and went about their daily lives, loving their friends and trying to
love their enemies, earning a living, keeping their dwellings tidy, growing
crops, and all the mundane things people do. They weren’t imprisoned or
martyred. We don’t know their names.
Were Barnabas
and Paul better Christians, more loved by God, than those anonymous-to-us
souls? Of course not. We all have an
opportunity to say yes to the work to which we are called. That work is unique,
specially designed for us. It is essential to bringing souls to the Kingdom,
regardless of whether anyone other than He knows it.
It can be
tempting to let some pride and arrogance creep into our souls when we see
others going about life and the world tells us we are better spouses, parents,
attorneys, writers, painters. Conversely, it can be tempting to be envious of
those who seem to be doing the same work better and to greater public acclaim.
That, my friends, is the evil one whispering into our souls and trying to take
up residence. Don’t listen to him. Listen to the One who called you to the
work… and do it for Him, not for the world.
Action
Pray for
someone whom you are tempted to regard as superior or inferior to you.
Image Credit
is Willem de Poorter [Public domain]
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