Find Your MissionSample

Today is about three qualities that will help you in your mission—courage, humility, and long-suffering. You will need them to move forward. And as you go, you will develop them more and more.

A living example of this was David. He was the youngest son of his father. His brothers were handsome men. Nevertheless, God chose him. Through the prophet Samuel, he had him appointed as the new king of Israel. This was done by Samuel anointing him. And that, although Saul was king at the same time.

Immediately after his calling, David ran and told everyone. "I am the new king, I am the new king." Saul heard this and of course immediately vacated his seat, because he knew that his time was now over. Far from it! None of this is true. After David was called, he did what he had been doing all along: he went back to the sheep.

He played the harp, wrote songs, fought sometimes with lions, sometimes with bears, and protected his father's flock of sheep. What he learned during this time was the foundation for what was to come. Every now and then he was called to the palace to play the harp. Always when the king was in a bad mood. And that sometimes put his life in danger. How must that have felt? There David sat as a musician on the floor in the palace of the king. Always with the knowledge in the back of his mind that one day he would sit on that throne. But for years there was no sign of that. On the contrary. When he visited his big brothers one day to bring food to the battlefield, he was only mocked. No one took him seriously when he said that he would take on Goliath. Yes, even Saul didn't know who this boy was. Strange, isn't it? After all, he had often played the harp for him.

Then, when he really defeated Goliath, he became a hero. The people, especially the women, celebrated him. And one person did not like that - the king. When Saul finally pursued him, David had two opportunities to kill the king. Nevertheless, he did not do it.

How long and rocky the road was for David on the path of his mission. For decades there was no sign of his kingship. On the contrary. His life was marked by contempt and loneliness. Until God intervened in a dramatic way. In one day, King Saul and his eldest son Jonathan died. He would have been the true heir to the throne. And in one part of Israel, David became overnight the king. A little later, he was where God had called him years ago. He became king of all Israel. Anyone who thinks that David had reached his goal and that the story was over was mistaken. His mission had just begun.

The story of David's calling and his mission is a great example. Whom God calls, He also enables. For this school of empowerment, God needed many years alone with David. Even though he knew very early that he would become king one day, it did not look like it for many years. God taught him to take responsibility. But not with his people. But with sheep. He taught him patience and humility. Not as a ruler, but as a servant. He taught him courage. First in the fight against wild animals, then against the oversized giant Goliath. He taught him longsuffering in solitude. You can read what that felt like in David's Psalms. In this school of life, David learned to depend on God completely.

Yes, he made mistakes and many had to pay for it. Nevertheless, David is called a man after God's own heart. For decades, God had been training his character. God had spent this time preparing him for what was His dream for David's life. He saw in him more than just the king of Israel. Many generations later, God's Son would be born as David's successor. Like David, Jesus would come into the world in Bethlehem. As with David, many fellow men did not see Jesus as a king either. And both were betrayed by their closest friends.

God's call on your life is the challenge to face His school of life. God is calling you to your very own mission. But before you change the lives of others, He first wants to change you. Change has its price. Change often hurts. But change is inevitable if you want to fulfill God's mission for your life.