“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 1:4-8 ESV)
All of us want to have a sense that God notices us. We have a yearning to know God cares about us and for us. We live in a tough world. It has been difficult in every age; the difficulties and challenges simply change from one period of life to another. We WANT to know that we are not helpless and alone, facing the challenges with nothing but our own abilities and no one by our side.
Most of us WANT God to notice us and have enough confidence in us to give us something significant to do with our lives. We want to have a life that MATTERS. We YEARN for our lives to count for something, to know that we are capable of accomplishment. Robert McGee wrote “The Search for Significance” in response to our tendency of defining our self-worth in terms of accomplishment.
Those living in Jeremiah’s time were no different. Human nature has not changed since time began. That is why God’s word is relevant today…we can read His story and see ourselves in the lives of the people written on the page. So, when God called, what was Jeremiah’s response? Jeremiah suddenly faced the reality of God’s belief in him, and he said, “I am too young!” When god called, Jeremiah responded in fear. God’s answer was for Jeremiah to trust in God’s plan.
Thousands of years later, we are like Jeremiah. We WANT God to call on us, and sometimes we are jealous when others are called on to do something that appears more significant than our assignment. When God does call on us to do something that is significant, and is outside our comfort zone, we likewise respond in fear, “Are you sure?”
Two thoughts occur to me. When God calls on us to do the mundane (and gives someone else the glamor position), do not complain. Be a faithful servant. Then, when God does call us to do something significant- don’t offer an excuse. Run toward him! If we are faithful in little things, God will entrust us with greater things. (Luke 16:10-12) When God calls on us to do something that seems greater than our abilities (it is after all), He will make us able in His strength, power, and wisdom. You think about that!
Happy New Year!
Praying for more to be His,
Reggie Hundley
Executive Director
Mission Services Association, Inc.
the missions network
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