Good News: Discovering your Biblical assignment

It was a big fad in the 1960’s and 70’s and still could be for all I know… going to the mountains of Colorado to “Find yourself.” A husband or wife who was unhappy in life or marriage would abandon their spouse and children and ascend the mountains to discover who they really were. What most of them discovered was that they were the same unhappy person, but now more dizzy and light-headed than they normally were at home.

For a born-again Christian the journey to discovering yourself begins and ends in the Bible. John the Baptist knew exactly who he was. When asked by the religious elite who he was he plainly told them, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, make straight the way for the Lord.” And where did he discover his identity? By reading the prophet Isaiah. The apostles Paul and Peter knew their assignment. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “They recognized that I had been appointed with the role of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been assigned to the Jewish people.” They each knew their role.

It’s so much easier to serve the body of Christ, which we are all called to do, when you know exactly what your role is. If we press on to know God’s assignment for us in this life, He will be faithful to let us know what it is. He doesn’t want us continually stumbling around trying to figure it out and then one day in our 80’s say, “I think I’ve got it!” Our spiritual identity is discovered when we believe on the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. Paul told the Corinthians, “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here! What’s more, God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” With our spiritual identity of being made completely new and in right standing with God now settled, we can then seek the Lord for a key scripture about where he wants us to serve.

Most of the time the area of service will be in line with your God-given talents. A challenge to the ego could raise its ugly head when another believer is better in that area of service than you. The temptation to not serve will be strong. As a believer, you’re not going to give an account for your sin, that was taken care of when you believed in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. What you will give an account for is what you did with gifts and talent God gave you. If one spark plug is missing in a car’s engine, the car won’t run right. You are a church spark plug; it will run better when you are involved.

Life is short, time is of the essence. Psalm 39:4 should be every believer’s prayer, “Lord, show me my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.”

Ken Staley is the pastor of Faith Church of Pleasant Grove 9:30 a.m. and Harrisville Methodist Church 11 a.m. Both are Global Methodist congregations.

You can text Ken at 918-852-9797.