Stephen M. Miller – Monday, 6 January 2014 “What’s my special
purpose?”
SIDEWALK PREACHER. A gent in Dublin gives the Irish a piece of
his mind. Question for folks who say they are “called to the ministry.” Who
called you? If it wasn’t an angel or a vision—which is how God called people in
Bible times—why not simply say you think the job is a good fit for you? Why
blame God if you turn out to be a snooze of a preacher? Just a thought some
souls wonder about. Not necessarily a recommendation.
IT’S THE BIBLE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.
It comes from an old friend of mine, Hondo Ayers, who used to
teach a Sunday school class I attended. I know him well enough to call him
Michael, which is his real name. Michael, you win a free book for asking the
question. Email or message me.
Here’s his question:
How does a Christian determine their unique purpose, compared to
“general purpose” for all?
I’m guessing that by “general purpose” Michael is talking about
the things we’re all supposed to do: treat our neighbors kindly, take care of
the poor, don’t go to a party when our last meal was a bowl of beans – which is
another way of saying we should treat our neighbors kindly.
“Unique purpose” sounds like Michael is talking about a
“calling.”
Maybe he’s thinking of someone who says they feel “called to the
ministry.” And it sounds like he might be thinking we all have a special
purpose we should seek out and fulfill.
I’m not a fan of phrasing things that way, though.
For example, when someone tells me they feel “called to the
ministry” I translate that in my head. The translation goes something like
this: “I think I should be a minister.”
The “called” terminology, it seems to me, comes from Bible
times, when God called people to do special jobs: prophets, kings, heroic
military leaders like Gideon. But in those “callings” God showed up himself, or
sent a messenger, or at least gave the person a vision.
Most people today who say they feel called to do something in
particular probably did not have any experience comparable to what those folks
in the Bible had.
That’s why I don’t use that phrasing to describe what I do.
Interviewers sometimes ask me if I feel called to my writing ministry.
No I don’t.
Not in the way people in Bible times felt called. No angel
showed up to tell me I should write books. No human messenger came knocking on
my door to say God sent them to tell me I should make my living as a writer.
Here is as close as I got to a calling:
I knew I enjoyed writing, as early as junior high school storytelling
runs in my family; my grandpap, a hunter, told great bear stories
high school teachers told me I should consider writing as a career
I got a college degree in news journalism, and enjoyed the classes and the work
Many Christian publications I read back then made me think someone should
apologize to a tree; I figured Christian publishers needed my help I’ve been
making my living as a writer ever since, and I love it.
So for me, the way I found what became my “unique purpose” was
to consider what kind of work gave me joy, presuming it was God who programmed
the joy into me listen to the advice of people who objectively evaluated my
work (Mom I love you, but I needed to hear it from others, too)
One reason I can’t warm up to the “called” terminology is
personal and anecdotal. Nothing scientific about it at all.
It comes from my growing up years. A lady who was my youth
leader stood up in church one Sunday during a testimony service and said she
was living God’s “second best.” She said what God really wanted her to do was
to be a missionary. But she said she chose not to do that, and instead chose to
stay at home, have a family, and raise her children. She urged the young people
in our church not to make the same mistake she made.
First of all, what kind of message does that send to her
children? “Mommy, are we mistakes?”
“No dear. Your daddy was.”
Second of all, what makes her think God would have trusted her
out on some mission field? Did Gabriel appear to her and tell her where to go?
Here’s why I have trouble buying into her “I missed God’s best.”
Wherever I go God goes with me.
Why would I call that second best?
And if whatever I do is because I’m trying to follow the
teachings of Jesus, why would I not consider that my unique purpose at that
given moment?
I think my answer to Michael would be that when we listen to
God’s Spirit who lives within us we hear him tell us what we should be doing,
when we should be doing it, and for how long.
That’s not how they did it in Old Testament times.
Back then they used sacred lots, a bit like throwing dice.
That’s because they believed God controlled the way the lots fell.
I think we would have trouble with that today.
Who would tell God that if he wants us on the mission field,
he’s going to have to roll a Hard Six? (In the game of craps, that means you
roll a three on a pair of six-sided dice. Not that I’ve played the game. But it
is kinda fun typing “craps” in a Bible blog.)
I don’t think we need Old Testament lots anymore.
We have the Spirit. Jesus: “The Holy Spirit will come and help
you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place,” (John 14:26
NCV).
We have the Bible. Paul: “Scripture is God-breathed and useful
one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our
mistakes, training us to live God’s way,” (2 Timothy 3:17, The Message).
And we have family and friends who have the Spirit, the Bible,
and opinions—some opinions of which are informed.
I know everyone has gifts, special interests, talents. But I
don’t think many people have what we should call a “unique purpose,” of
biblical proportion, involving an angel, a vision, or some extraordinary visit
from God. But we’ve all got stuff God wants us to do. His Spirit hangs it on
our heart like a boulder in a backpack. If we’re sensitive, we feel it hanging
there. And we do something about it.
Taking care of that kind of business is a purpose unique enough
for me.
The rock I carry might seem small. A tiny purpose, indeed. But
when it gets to where it’s going, I might discover it’s part of the Hoover Dam.
The post What’s my special purpose? appeared first on Stephen M.
Miller.
“Trading land for lumber”
by Stephen M. Miller
King Solomon traded 22 cities in the north Israel region of
Galilee for cedars of Lebanon to build the Jerusalem Temple. What did the king
in Lebanon (Tyre) call the land after he saw it?
Worthless (1 King 9:13).
The post Trading land for lumber appeared first on Stephen M.
Miller.
More to read:
Did incest populate the planet?
It’s a boy: Jesus
Who messed up Matthew’s Jesus quote?
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