Several years ago, Max Luxado wrote an amazingly tiny book entitled You Can Be Anything God Wants You to Be. I wish I'd read it in high school instead of college. The basic premise is that if you make a list of things that you enjoy doing (helpful, nice things, mind you) and things you are good it, anything that appears on both of those lists may or may not but probably could be a special 'purpose area' that God has gifted you with the gifts, tools and desire to pursue.
Tools. Desire. Opportunity.
I firmly believe when God has a purpose for our lives, He always gives us these three things to go with them. They don't always come at once, but they do come eventually. I'm heading to a world missions conference this weekend, so I'll use that as an example here. If you're single and out of school with a desire to travel, I'd say you've got opportunity and desire, so let's start praying about tools like training and financial support. On the other hand, if you've been given lots of money and the opportunity to travel, but you get no joy from evangelism or going new places, maybe we should reconsider whether that's truly your purpose right now. Key words: right now.
So while we're talking here, grab some paper and a pen and make those two lists: things you enjoy and things you are good at. It certainly helped me figure out what was in my tool kit. What also helped was that I took a year off between college and graduate school. The habit of thoughtfulness and self-reflection that filled that year have become familiar lenses through which I view my life these days and I've learned a few things as a result.
First, some tools you don't realize you have until someone forces you to use them. By the same token, some tools you don't realize you're missing until you try to use them. Looking back, this was my problem. I spent a lot of time in college trying to use tools I didn't have. I jumped the gun. I tried to accomplish things in my ministry and my relationships, even my relationship with God, for which I was completely unequipped. And now that a decent amount of time has passed, I realize that time is exactly what I needed. Nothing that I was doing could prepare me for what God had put on my heart to do, only He could.
When I'm uncertain about God's timing and His plan for this tool kit He's given me, I find a lot of encouragement in Esther. She had one impressive tool kit by the time she invited the king to dinner. God had given her the tools and the opportunity, but when at last she had the desire and courage, Esther 6 tells us she invited her two targets to dinner but couldn't quite get the words out. One of my favorite women alive, Beth Moore suggests that Esther was silent because Xerxes and Haman's relationship was not at a place that her words would have been effective if she had spoken them. She needed to wait. Some of us get our desire first and then the opportunity, but we have to wait on the tools. Right now I have a good friend in seminary who's had the desire for full-time ministry for several years now and praise the Lord, he's finally getting the tools. Personally, I find myself filled with desire and a belt-load of tools, but no opportunity...at least not yet.
So for everyone out there waiting for more tools, give it time and work on using the ones you have. For everyone looking down at their tool kit, their treasure chest, the collection of crowns they will eventually lay at the feet of the Heavenly Throne, I hope this new year will be one of patient waiting and intentional sharpening. For both parties, God has given each of us the tools we need for now and He will give us the tools for our future when we need them as well. Using the tools you have now is having the faith of a mustard seed; if you don't use them now, you will never have what it takes to properly take care of that seed once it grows into a tree.
No comments:
Post a Comment