This Sunday Ps Phil Strong shared a message (HERE) about how where God has placed us is our moment of coming alive. He looked at the lives of Joseph, David, Esther, Elijah, Peter, Paul and Jesus, and encouraged us to take some time to look around us to see that we are called for such a time and place as we find ourselves in now.
Today I want to both encourage you to listen to that message and to share my take on it.
We all have places, people, positions and periods that we are a part of. We have families and jobs. We are a part of communities and in all likelihood see many of the same people regularly.
Many of us also often feel as though this is not the place for us. We feel uncomfortable. It’s possible that there are times where we feel as though we just don’t fit in, that we don’t belong, or that it is simply too hard.
But what happens to your life, to the circle of community around you, if you reframe how you think and feel based on the truth that you were placed where, when, how, and as who you are for a reason?
Imagine that you were placed next to your neighbour, yes, the one you wish would move, because God wanted you to be the person who helps, acknowledges, and behaves in a way that reflects Him, no matter how they behave. Imagine that the way you love and care for them shows them and their family that there are different ways to do life, and that no matter what they do, they always have value.
Imagine that you were placed next to your neighbour
Consider the job you struggle through as the place where you are consistent, conscientious, and considerate, not for your benefit, but so God can touch the hearts of your employer and co-workers. Consider that God may use who you are to bless others, allowing you to be there for someone who is also struggling. You could be the light that helps them to see their value, you could be the one who creates a work culture that everyone wants to be part of.
You could be the light
You may be the only person who can reach a specific person. Yes, God could send someone else, but do you want him to? Or do you want to be the person who says yes and sees the change with their own eyes?
do you want to be the person who says yes and sees the change with their own eyes?
Today I pray that you are able to take that uncomfortable feeling and reframe it so that the world you are interacting with becomes an opportunity to be the person God made you to be, exactly where He planted you.