Being an effective steward of our time goes beyond to-do lists and calendars. We need to make sure that we’re serving where God wants us to serve and participating where God wants us to participate.
Finding our callings are crucial. Whether they’re lifelong callings or just serving in the local church for the next few weeks, our productivity for the kingdom requires us to be diligent in going where God wants us to go.
And I see a mistake being made over and over again that keeps us ineffective and unproductive. There are some who don’t pursue callings because they’re lazy and selfish. They don’t want to be uncomfortable so they deceive themselves by claiming that they “don’t feel led” to serve in some areas. But while that’s obviously wrong, that’s not the mistake that I’m talking about. I think there are good, godly people out there whose hearts are in the right place. They want to serve effectively and will go wherever God wants them. But here’s their mistake: They believe that their comfort level is an indicator of God’s call on their life. Some think that if God calls you to something, he’ll give you gifts, strengths, desires, and passions – so that pursuing your calling will feel natural. You’ll never doubt, you’ll never risk, you’ll never fight, you’ll never feel afraid, you’ll never face discomfort. So, they believe, if you feel uncomfortable that’s a sure sign that God is calling you elsewhere. So when asked to serve, to evangelize, to give, or to sacrifice, they answer, “Well, I don’t really feel comfortable doing that. I just don’t think that’s the type of person I am. I don’t really feel gifted in that area. I don’t really feel led to do that.” They dress it up with religious language, but it boils down to this: they don’t feel comfortable. Whoever said you were supposed to feel comfortable? Sometimes God blesses us with a sense of ease about certain decisions. I, for one, always felt comfortable about marrying my wife – from our early dates to our wedding vows. Never a serious doubt in my mind. But that doesn’t mean that God will always give us that sense of comfort. In fact, with some callings it’s virtually assured that we will be uncomfortable. Moses was uncomfortable when he was chosen to approach Pharaoh. Gideon was uncomfortable being chosen to wage war. Christ cried tears of blood because of his anguish in Gethsemane. There’s a difference between God’s peace and our comfort. His peace comes from knowing he’s involved, he’s sovereign, and that he has our best in mind. Our comfort is when we’re never stretched, never pushed to a place where we have to trust, never asked to give more than our human nature can handle. God gives us strengths, gifts, desires, and passions – and it is imperative for us to understand ourselves in order to understand God’s call on our lives. But why do we want to know those gifts and strengths? If we’re honest, it’s so that we can serve in an area and have success. It’s so that we can enjoy what we’re doing. It’s so that we can be fulfilled. But God gives us gifts and strengths and passions and desires to serve as signposts to where we can be the most effective for him. It’s where we can make the most impact for the kingdom. The enjoyment and fulfillment is merely the byproduct of a life that is lived in order to maximize kingdom effectiveness. God may be calling you to something that right now is terrifying you. You may feel uncomfortable. You may feel stressed. You may be tempted to doubt your leading in this area because of your discomfort. But know that his leading will often stretch you beyond your human capacity. Don’t confuse his peace with your comfort. Get in the game and put it on the line. Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. However, this doesn’t affect what I write about, what I choose to say, or what I recommend. Learn more here.
Peace vs. Comfort
Effectiveness, Not Fulfillment
And You?
Photo Credit: Jayson (Creative Commons)