Week Forty Seven - Multifaceted

One of my greatest joys is working with young adults. Through my work at Baptist Bible College, I am introduced to these young ones as they take their first step of faith by enrolling with a desire to either serve the Lord or find God’s plan for their lives. They come in very green. Some lack social skills, some need a dose of humility, while others arrive open to a new adventure and excited to see what God has next. As they look for their path and grow into adulthood, the change is amazing.

     I watch them change from clumsy to capable, from fearful to bold, and from unsure to certain and then, they leave! With them, they take all they have gained through studying God’s word in an organized manner, a new set of lifetime friends, and a development of mind and soul that places them ready for service.

     One of the burning questions they all deal with is, “What is God’s will for my life?”  Most want that question answered with one simple reply. You are to be a missionary. You are to be a pastor. You should be a music minister. But sadly, or might I say wonderfully, God’s plan isn’t singular. He has much more planned for them than just a single definition. Their lives are to be more than the title of a role. God has equipped them with many, many talents, and theirs is a journey to discover all God placed within them to use for His glory.

     We, too, sometimes fail to remember that our lives are not summed up by one word. We are not just a mother or father. We are not just a businessman or a real estate agent. We are much more. It is when we let the world define us by a single description that we get disillusioned with life. We are multifaceted, made in God’s image, and created to be so much more.

   Bob Goff said, “For those who resonate with formulas, here it is: add your whole life, your loves, your passions, and your interests together with what God said He wants us to be about, and that’s your answer. If you want to know the answer to the bigger question—what’s God’s plan for the whole world?—buckle up: it’s us.” (p 143)

     Yep! Us! With all our quirks, misgivings, faults, and failures, God wants to use us. Our assignment is to yield to His will. We will be mothers and fathers, workers, and employers, but those are only avenues in which God works. As a parent, we are teachers, protectors, and models. As a worker or employer, we are living examples of Christ, uplifters, and empowerers, and even lights shining in the darkness. God wants to use every gift, talent, and personality quality He has given us to reach the world. That is His plan.

     Just like those students, who enter green and discombobulated, come out upright and prepared, we, too, must see ourselves as a work in progress. A work inside God’s plan; one He is performing in conjunction with all those around us for His glory.

     So, today, don’t look at your life as small and singular. Open your heart and mind to all God has placed within you and allow Him to develop those skills—every one of them. You might feel clumsy at first, but you will find your feet. Learn to trust what God is doing and look for His hand. Then, you will graduate from life fulfilled and purposeful—a vessel fit for the Master’s use.

Love Does, by Bob Goff