Don't Drift Through Lifeናሙና

Embrace Your Place

“Not all who wander are lost." – J.R.R Tolkien

Moses gave God excuses why he thinks he's not a suitable candidate to go to Egypt to rescue the Israelites. He said, “Who am I that they will listen to me?” But God assured him, "You don’t qualify yourself for my assignment, I qualify you." Beginnings are hard, and they aren't always glamorous, hence why many people don't embrace their place in life. 

David was a shepherd boy. Daniel was taken captive to Babylon. Joseph and Nehemiah were prisoners, Moses was a stammerer, but through it all, they embraced their place, and consequently, they were all greatly used by God. Be comfortable working behind the scene until God bring you on stage, and when you get there, fully embrace it. 

The struggle for many is not that they are oblivious or naïve as to where they belong in life or what their purpose is, but the unwillingness to embrace it. I love this line from the movie, The Lion King when Mufasa said to Simba:

"You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of life."

You and I must take our place in the Circle of life by going through life purposeful and putting our gifts and talents to work. Life and its brevity nullify any reasons for us not to. 

God's protection, provision, presence, and sustenance are only guaranteed when you operate in your rightful place. In your place, you are not competing with anyone. Fish don't compete with birds because they belong to a different habitat. God hasn't called or sent you to everyone. Your gifts have their own audience, and it's not everyone. As powerful as Jesus was, he only came for the Jews (Matthew 15:24), but because those he came for rejected him (John 1:11), all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

It is not enough to embrace your place; you need sustaining grace to stay there. Moses could have made it to the promised land, but he had a character flaw, and it cost him dearly. Samson could have killed more Philistines and do more for God, but at the lap of Delilah, he gives away his power. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10: 12 - 13, 

"If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Your gifts need a corresponding character that will sustain them. Allow God to develop your Character even in obscurity. Serve your way up. Embrace the process; even when the beginnings are not glamorous, embrace it. Remember, not all who wander are lost, some are just unwilling to embrace their place.