Placement: Finding Your Dream

Part 3 of Big Picture: A Series On How To Change Your Perspective In Order To Change The World

So far in this series, we've talked about Christ working through us to share His grace (read here) and how we can use the pain in our lives to serve as a strength in changing the world (read here). In Part 3, I want to talk about finding our place in the grand scheme of things. What issue is the most important to address? What should we be doing? Should we be assessing our personality and talents to try and figure out what we're supposed to be doing? I have some different points to emphasize here, and they are all different, so I'm just hoping and praying that this can make sense and not totally contradict itself. Ya know?

First of all, take a moment and assess where you are in life. Who are you? This can include everything from your financial to relationship status to your career to your reputation. Write it all down, and then burn it. (Okay, don't actually burn it. What if you burnt your house down, and then I was responsible??) Just put it aside for a moment, and realize that whatever your "status" in life, it means nothing. In the kingdom of God, if you're extremely intelligent, you're still pretty dumb compared to God. If you live meal to meal, that also means nothing. God can do anything He wishes with anyone. Take a moment and surrender your whole identity to the Lord. Tell Him you want to be used mightily in His kingdom, merits and hangups and everything. Let Him give you a dream, a passion, a cause for something that you can use your life to end or advance.

Because here's the deal. The place and ministry where God calls you is going to be the place where the kingdom of God is going to be advanced and the world is going to change. 

Secondly, I was listening to a sermon yesterday, and my pastor was saying something very profound (that made me kind of rethink this whole blog post!). He was saying that instead of trying to find our ministry, we just need to start walking in it. Instead of waiting for a ministry to knock on your door and ask you to be CEO, we need to be sharing His grace with the world through our actions and words. Sometimes ministries do up and knock on your door, but we can't sit on the couch and wait for it. Your ministry is a lifestyle, not a career.

Thirdly, you can take that list out again. (Unless you burned it. But I told you not to, so...) Take a good look at it. Remember that parable in the Bible about those talents? Here's a little excerpt:

"For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’"

The story continues with the end of the stories of the two other stewards. Even though the stewards were in charge of money in this, I think it's really cool that the money was called talents (does that make anyone else really happy? No? Okay, sorry.). Now in light of this, analyze what you have right now. Do you have a dream to end abortion? Do you have a heart for widows? Political involvement? Who are you married to, and what is their dream? Are you single and love to travel? Ask God to show you who you are and what you have, and how it all fits together. 

So I know I went all over the place today, but let me try to sum it up for you:
  
Treat everyday and every situation as a ministry, and be asking God to give you the dream and passion He wants for you. Your life may not change at all, but you might, as you realize His ministry for you. And finally, realize that God has given you certain gifts that, if used in His strength, are going to change the world. 

Love you all & can't wait to change the world with you!