Have you ever wondered what to do when you feel like you’re not making a difference? When you’re striving to find meaning on the conveyor belt of life?
Perhaps you’ve questioned whether or not your life’s present lines up with your purpose…if you’re on the right path with the right people.
If you have, then congratulations! You’re absolutely, positively human.
Granted, such questions contain universal relevance; however, it’s still important to know how to answer them when they surface.
‘Cause truth is: The bivocational life can feel like is a jungle…with doubt, a quicksand of the mind. But with the Word in hand along with the proper tools, even the toughest terrain can be ‘macheted’ through1.
So ultimately, this lesson is as much preparation as it is exploration.
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As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a fan of my day job.
How I’m wired, what fuels me, what I’m aiming for…couldn’t be further from my current occupational residency.
Not to mention, I work in an environment where I’m like a modern David running away from a bunch of Saul’s with spears in their hands1.
You talk about not feeling like you make a difference. Let’s just say I’m there.
However…this doesn’t mean my place at my job is a mistake (as I’ll later address next month).
Rather, it simply means I’ve bought into the following truths…
1) God has a flawless purpose for everyone…
Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 16:9, Isaiah 58:11
2) Some seasons are supposed to be ridiculously challenging…
Scriptures: Psalm 66:10, Zechariah 13:9, Romans 9:21, Isaiah 64:8
3) Being stretched beyond bandwidth is best seen as a compliment from God…
Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 10:13, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Hebrews 12:6, James 1:2-4, Romans 5:1-5
4) Our identity isn’t rooted in what we do.
Scriptures: John 1:12, Ephesians 1:5, Genesis 1:27, Jeremiah 1:5, 1 Peter 2:9
Thus, we don’t have to accept the chains our circumstances offer us. We don’t have to live in trepidation just because of someone’s sick prejudice. And we don’t have to waste our breath grilling God for mispositioning us when we can anchor our trust in the fact He always knows what He’s doing.
Why? ‘Cause trust is not dependent on having the answers; it’s dependent on believing the one Who does.
And I’m telling you, friends…when you remove entitlement from the equation3, there’s no doubt in my mind you will see differently.
So be encouraged to embrace God’s sovereignty and marinate in His faithfulness.
‘Cause when you do, you’ll not only defeat deceptive feelings of purposelessness, but you’ll also discover the ways you can make a difference and leave a legacy even in the deserts and wildernesses of life. Furthermore, you’ll cultivate greater steadfastness in the face of temptation, especially the desire to prematurely quit4.
So if you’re strugglin’ today feeling worthless, stuck in the mud or frozen at a crossroads in zero visibility…faint not (Galatians 6:9), resist vain comparisons (Galatians 5:26)…and know the indescribable has made you indescribably.
Stay tuned next time when we’ll tackle our second question: How do you cope with the fears of rejection and mediocrity?
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Footnotes
1) We can’t control the setting we’re in, but we can control how we ready ourselves and respond in the wake of discouragement
2) Nothing like people conspiring against you to test the depth of your character
3) When you abandon the “right” to understand the way you see fit
4) For all you bivocationals out there…this is arguably the greatest lesson we can learn outside the two greatest commandments
Photo credits: ignant.de & finemind.com
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