Visitors to our home will find a number of beautiful and well-crafted pieces of furniture throughout the house. These pieces were not purchased in any store and are one of a kind. They are the handiwork of my father-in-law. Each piece has its own unique purpose. There’s a China cabinet to hold our china and crystal, a book cabinet with glass doors and file drawers to hold books and files, and even a display case to hold my New York City Marathon finisher’s medal.
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are the handiwork of our heavenly Father. Each one of us was masterfully created by God in Jesus Christ to do good works. The works that He created us to do are unique to us. We were created with specific gifts, talents, and abilities that make us perfectly suited to the work He planned for us to do long before we were born. God knew who we were and what we would be able to do before we were even formed in our mothers’ wombs. He created us with His purpose in mind (Jeremiah 1:5).
The furniture crafted by my father-in-law can only serve the purpose for which it was created. It has no say in the matter. Unlike that furniture, however, we can choose to fulfill our purpose, or choose not to. God created us with the ability to fulfill His purpose for us, but He also created us with free will. His desire is for us to step into our purpose, but we have to make that decision to do so. 1 Peter 4:10 encourages us to be faithful stewards of the gifts and abilities God has given us by using them to serve others, by using them for His purpose.
If we choose not to play our part in fulfilling God’s purposes here on earth, God will allow someone else to do so. His plans and His purposes will be fulfilled even if we choose not to do our part or step away from doing our part out of fear. In the book of Esther, Mordecai told Esther as much. He said that, if she remained silent and did not ask her husband, the King to come to the aid of her people, then the relief and deliverance of the Jews would come from someone or someplace else (Esther 4:14).
When God calls us to His purpose, it is because He knows that we are able to fulfill it. He created us with that purpose in mind and, when we allow Him to use us, He promises to be with us in whatever we do or wherever we go (Joshua 1:9). The added bonus is being able to one day hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”
A Worshiper's Journal 