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Created for His Purposes
Posted By Katrina
- Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life
I’ve always been fascinated with learning about what makes people (including myself) tick. In fact, there’s an entire section of my bookshelf attesting to this fact. Books like Personality Plus, Pathway to Purpose, Cure for the Common Life, and Now, Discover Your Strengths stand in a row, evidence that I’m drawn to the intersection of “how am I made?” and “what is my purpose?”
You see, I believe there is a clear connection between verses like Psalm 139:13 & 16, and Ephesians 2:10.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
…your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
- Psalm 139:13, 16
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
- Ephesians 2:10
I just love how God weaves together our spiritual gifts, passions, temperaments, and life circumstances to put us right where He wants us, right where He can best use us. And as I have sought to figure out how it all works together in my life, I’ve delighted in pondering the questions in the above-mentioned books, questions such as:
* In what way might God purposefully use one or more of your passions to give you a…kingdom-building assignment?
Or:
* What are your greatest fears about your life purposes?
I suppose they’re fine-sounding ponderings at first glance. But God has been reminding me of another important truth lately:
Sometimes - or even, often! - the things that God calls me to do, the purposes He has for me, have absolutely nothing to do with my abilities, passions, or temperament. But they have everything to do with Him.
I’ve been studying about Gideon this week (using this fantastic study), and let me tell you, Gideon did not exactly feel like God had orchestrated his life to bring him to this wonderful moment in time: the time when he would be used by God to defeat the Midianites who were oppressing Israel. But that’s exactly what God did - He showed up and informed Gideon that he had been chosen, hand-picked in fact, to lead Israel against the ones who were continually invading and ravaging their land.
At first, you might imagine that Gideon, in response to God’s call, would have said, “Ah yes, this all makes sense. I’m a leader by nature, I love creating tactical plans, and I have a passion to free Israel from oppression. I am clearly the man for the job.”
Nope. In fact, Gideon doubted at every turn. He doubted that God cared about Israel. He doubted that he (Gideon) was the right man for the job, and He doubted that God really meant what He said, even though God gave him sign after sign that He meant business.
Why would God choose someone who, by all accounts, did not seem to fit the job description for “Courageous Warrior Equipped in All Ways to Lead Israel Against the Midianites”? It’s a theme we see throughout Scripture - God using the unlikely, the weak, the hesitant. The truth is, the person chosen isn’t the important thing. In Judges 6, we see how God responds to Gideon’s doubts:
The LORD answered, “I will be with you.”
- Judges 6:16a
And then, if we keep reading through chapter 7, we see that it was truly God who brought about the victory over the Midianites - not Gideon, after all.
So what does this mean to me? It means that I might be able to glean a bit about God’s purpose for me by examining myself and the way I’ve been created. And I should certainly seek to use any gifts or passions I have to serve Him. But when it comes to His purpose for me, the best way to discover it is to seek Him (not knowledge about myself) and to always be open to His instruction and leading.
Confession: I’m not going to stop reading books on personality and purpose. I still think it’s important and valuable to “know ourselves” and how God has made us. And I still love to learn about what makes people tick.
But today, I am reminded that God will accomplish his purposes for me…through me…in me. Some of those purposes may seem to line up perfectly with how He has “created my inmost being.” And some - well, they might look like they’d be the perfect purpose…for someone else! But I will trust that He always knows what He’s doing. When I’m tempted to say, “No, that job isn’t for me - surely God doesn’t want someone like me doing that,” I will instead try to step out on faith, following His lead. And I’ll remember that, as with Gideon, He will be with me. You know what? That’s enough for me!
Discussion: Have you ever felt God leading you to do something that seemed completely at odds with your temperament / personality / gifts? How did you respond? What did God do?
Oct 4th, 2006
What an interesting post Katrina!!!
I also absolutely love analyzing myself and others. I love to understand my personality and others… I find it fascinating. And I love to see how God has used the twists and turns in my road to get me to where I am.
But you really got me thinking with your point about Gideon. And I’m going to have to think for quite a while about your discussion question. I really can’t think of any such situation right now… possibly I’ve only been listening to the tasks that I felt suited for. I’m really going to try to be more aware of this from now on.
Thanks for getting me thinking.
Discussion: Have you ever felt God leading you to do something that seemed completely at odds with your temperament / personality / gifts? How did you respond? What did God do?
Faith Lifts was one of those “leadings” that I just so sure He had picked the wrong person for. I still sometimes look at the women who have joined up with us and think “Wow, You really were serious, werent you!” Im amazed at how He has formed this group, and this site to minister to so many women.
Thank you for being part of that!
-H
Very interesting discussion question. I would have to answer yes He has and yes He does lead some to do things that seem totally beyond their gifts and temperments. When I first was saved we attended a church where the pastor was a very powerful preacher and teacher. But it wasn’t always that way. He used to be petrified to speak in front of people. When he first became a pastor, he’d get so scared when he stood up there were times that his wife had to take over because he just couldn’t do it. But he felt the leading of God, and persisted when his head and circumstance was saying quit. And now he preaches all over the world.
In my own life, I know I’ve been asked to do things that I think are way not me. But sometimes someone sees something in you that you yourself cannot see. And if you are obediant to God in His asking, that gifting could develop.
Great thoughts here! It’s funny, because I do feel like my gifts line up on the “big things” I have felt like He has asked me to do. However, there are little things that I have to be willing to do, and not lay aside because it’s not my chosen area of service. It’s a constant reminder that I have to be available to do what He wants me to do when He wants me to do it.
Oh yes, this is the story of my life. I remember after I was coming out of the “fire” God had just put my husband and I through. I was asked to give my testimony to some high school girls. I said “sure”. Then I walked away and realized what I just agreed to and went home and about threw up.
I practiced and practiced, I did not eat, THIS WAS SO NOT ME (getting in front of people and talking). Why did I agree, I don’t think it was me, God answered for me (because right-thinking me would have never agreed).
I went in there, (feeling like fresh meat) and as soon as the first word came out of my mouth I litterally felt God carry me through.
I “floated” out of that room, I don’t remember what was said I was in such a daze. I did it, I could not believe it. BUT WAIT… I did not do it. GOD DID IT. I litterally felt the Holy Spirit carry me, and I could not even go to sleep that night because I was so “juiced up” =)
We can give praise in our own efforts, but OH how much more powerful are they when you are called to do something YOU would never had dared or dreamed of doing. FOR ALL GLORY IS GIVEN TO GOD THEN, because you know YOU would have never been able to do that!!
I appreciated the thoughts above. I like learning about myself too but like how you put the need to look at what God desires of us above all other things. I have had to speak in various situations and am usually nervous about it beforehand but God has carried me through. I think I’ve also run myself out of the race on tasks I didn’t feel I could do . . . yet, I’m also not sure the Lord was truly calling me to them. I think I sell myself short sometimes. I don’t always feel like the capable one to do things but I know that God uses the simple to confound the wise . . . I’ll have to keep an open mind at our new church and in opportunities around us. :0) Thanks for this post on purpose. :0)
Thanks for putting our personalities and gifts in perspective with God’s sovereign plan. Well said.
One thing I never ever thought I could do is work with the children & youth at my church. When I first got involved with the youth, I came saying I couldn’t teach but I wanted to help handle administrative behind-the-scenes things for them. Now I lead both ministries, teach almost weekly and love it. God had a totally different plan and I am so very blessed by it.
usually, when i have strongly felt God leading me a certain way - i have reacted with fear. paralyzing fear. but then a still small voice in my heart will give me just enough faith to walk…even if it is the smallest step.
often i will say to myself, “if i am not obediant in this particular thing I believe God is leading me through and too then I cannot go on the the next thing…”
That would give me grace and vision to dive in….
Great post! It has always been encouraging for me to know that God uses us even in our weakness, not only in our strengths. I’ll have to think about that discussion question!
Love the direction you went on the theme - purpose.
Discussion questions: My Confession - staying at home. Being a wife and mother who cooks and cleans the toilets (not at the same time) (and if I’m really being honest the cleaning the toilet part, not so much) that is where God has called me and that is where I never desired to be. I always wanted to be married with children but my hope was to have someone else do all the work and I would pay them. But I’m doing what God called me to do (yeah, except for he toilet part remember) and God has changed me, my thinking and my family through it. Thank goodness He never says, “I told you so.”