We are all born with different personalities, skills, gifts, and abilities. There has been a long and heated debate in the world of Psychology as to whether we are born a blank slate, or if our personality is all predetermined before we get here. John Locke (1632-1704) established the blank slate theory or tabula rasa; the theory that when we are born we have no predetermined tendencies. How we turn out is determined strictly by our experiences. Arguments supporting personality traits that are hardwired into our DNA, however, have been defended, dating as far back as Plato. Of course most educated people agree that in actuality it is a combination of both these theories that makes up who we are. It is similar to the question, "Where does God's sovereignty end and my free will begin?" That is a question that will make you crazy trying to articulate an answer.
Volume after volume could be written filling numerous libraries trying to hash that out and in all reality we cannot know the answer definitively. We do know however, that we have a purpose designed by our Creator before the foundation of the world was laid. There is a specific plan for us. This is not some vague nonspecific plan. They are divine appointments of lives we are to touch and impact for the kingdom of God. There are hearts prepared by Christ for that moment when we are used to drive the point home, to show Christ's grace and undying love for us, to make them see the glory that is Christ manifested in us. That is why living our lives emptied of ourselves so we can be filled with Christ is so important. So we can be spilled out for a divine purpose. "A man's heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps." Proverbs 16:9. If we are not willing to be accessible to Christ, He will accomplish His desires in His own way. Do we want to be the guy on the team who does not want to be called in to score the winning goal? We already know that all battles we enter for Christ have been won. It's not like he is going to call us in and then we will miss the winning field goal!
In the familiar story of Esther we see an interesting exchange between she and Mordecai. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14. God used an unlikely queen to save the entire Hebrew nation. If she had not been willing however, they would have been saved some other way. God was going to bring the Messiah, the Savior, into the world for our redemption through these people. "Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David," Luke 2:4. No Jews, no David. No David, no Messiah. Don't you see, my friend, there is so much more to our existence than just us. We affect multitudes of lives. The people, the souls, with whom we come into contact is no accident. We have to recognize the value of our existence because of the master scene writer who orchestrates the whole production. He saw before us and knows who and what will come after us. But He will accomplish His will with or without us.
In order to be instruments in the hands of the master we must be close to Him, learning His heart, listening for His voice. Living a spirit filled life is no accident. God does not pick greater things for a select few while the rest of us live a mundane spiritual existence. "But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary." 1 Corinthians 12:20-22. Those who are "the star of the show" are those who have emptied their lives of their own desires and are fully at the disposal of Christ. Not believing the lie that Satan so craftily seduces us with that in order to be happy we have to get what we want and have some say over our circumstances. Our circumstances have eternal significance just like Esther's. Our God today is the same God who orchestrated her influencing the heart of a king, who allowed Moses to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea, and who through the disciples cast out demons, for heaven sake! He hasn't changed!
Our lives are not a series of accidents and coincidences. We are to glorify Christ and thwart the enemy every day of our lives in an active way, by proclaiming Him to those in our path, through our words and our actions, as well as having a prayer life of significance. Be the child of God who is ready and eager to be the one to make the play; the one who is listening and stirred to action by the master's voice. He will do great things for His kingdom through all who are willing, we only have to be close enough to Him to hear the call.
In the familiar story of Esther we see an interesting exchange between she and Mordecai. "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14. God used an unlikely queen to save the entire Hebrew nation. If she had not been willing however, they would have been saved some other way. God was going to bring the Messiah, the Savior, into the world for our redemption through these people. "Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David," Luke 2:4. No Jews, no David. No David, no Messiah. Don't you see, my friend, there is so much more to our existence than just us. We affect multitudes of lives. The people, the souls, with whom we come into contact is no accident. We have to recognize the value of our existence because of the master scene writer who orchestrates the whole production. He saw before us and knows who and what will come after us. But He will accomplish His will with or without us.
In order to be instruments in the hands of the master we must be close to Him, learning His heart, listening for His voice. Living a spirit filled life is no accident. God does not pick greater things for a select few while the rest of us live a mundane spiritual existence. "But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary." 1 Corinthians 12:20-22. Those who are "the star of the show" are those who have emptied their lives of their own desires and are fully at the disposal of Christ. Not believing the lie that Satan so craftily seduces us with that in order to be happy we have to get what we want and have some say over our circumstances. Our circumstances have eternal significance just like Esther's. Our God today is the same God who orchestrated her influencing the heart of a king, who allowed Moses to lead the Israelites across the Red Sea, and who through the disciples cast out demons, for heaven sake! He hasn't changed!
Our lives are not a series of accidents and coincidences. We are to glorify Christ and thwart the enemy every day of our lives in an active way, by proclaiming Him to those in our path, through our words and our actions, as well as having a prayer life of significance. Be the child of God who is ready and eager to be the one to make the play; the one who is listening and stirred to action by the master's voice. He will do great things for His kingdom through all who are willing, we only have to be close enough to Him to hear the call.
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