"We grow up when we see our life and our role from God's perspective; when we thank God for the role He has assigned us and begin to see our cup as a gift instead of a cross; when each morning we ask..."God, how can I glorify You today in my given role?" -Linda Dillow
What roles do you play in your life? Are you content with the roles that God has given to you?
I'm a Christian, a Wife, a Mommy (yes, in that order), a Daughter, a Sister, a Friend. I'm not always content in these roles, but I strive to be. I do know that in order to be content in these roles, I have to take myself out of the equation for a minute. My human side wants to concentrate on what my payoff is for being all of these things. What's in it for me? However, my Christian side knows that Jesus came to earth with the primary purpose of serving others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
He asks you and I to enter our worlds with the same purpose. Jesus humbled himself and took the role of the servant. He used his assigned role to minister to those around him and to give the ultimate gift of his very life. Am I capable of such sacrifice? Am I capable of being content in all things when the reality is that the kids are talking back at me, the floor I just mopped got red Koolaid spilled on it not 2 seconds after it dried, we are out of milk AGAIN even though I buy 2 or 3 gallons each time I enter the vicinity of a grocery store, and I'm wearing the same shirt I slept in for the last two night because technically I didn't actually get anything on it and I haven't had 2 uninterrupted minutes in the past 24 hours to look in the mirror and decide how I want to present myself. Is this what I was striving so hard to get to do by staying home with my kids instead of working? Can anyone relate?
When I get in this place where I start to get discontent, or pissy as I would say, with my role and the tasks that make up my day, I try very hard to stop and shift my focus.
"God has entrusted us with these roles. In his sovereignty, He has said it is in THIS ROLE we can best glorify him!" -Linda Dillow
Man, that word "Entrusts" is huge. So, you mean God didn't do this to me? He didn't put these specific challenges on my plate to punish me. You mean instead, he chose me specifically for this journey because he was entrusting this specific journey to me. For me, its being the Mother of 3 kids within 17 months of each other. When this happened (and yes people, I know how "this" happens ; ) ) I was overwhelmed and scared and felt inadequate and kind of wasn't sure what God was trying to get from me. Was he pushing me to the brink of exhaustion and lunacy to break me down? I don't believe that.
It occurred to me one day that a simple shift in focus made all the difference in the world for me as to how I perceived that gift. I realized that God didn't "DO" anything to me, but rather he "ENTRUSTED" me with this specific journey because he knew I could handle it. He knew I had it in me to rise to the occasion and take what might have been overwhelming for some and to shine in those trials in a way that would change me forever. He was growing me up. Thank you God for this sweet gift, it is the very best gift I have ever received. Thank you for picking me for this journey and thank you for the opportunity to be challenged and to rise to the occasion each and every morning and each and every time that the Koolaid gets spilled on my clean floor. The "ME" I like the best is the "ME" with a servant heart just like Jesus had. Thank you Lord for giving me the opportunity and putting me in this role to grow in that way specifically.
What roles do you play? Are you content? Maybe all it takes is a shift in focus and challenges turn into blessings.
Holy Father, you know the joys, the heartaches of my role. I confess that I have fought against what you have given. Grant me the courage to be a servant. Oh God, I long to be faithful to you. I accept my assigned role as a gift. Teach me to "cease striving and know that you are God! "
-B-
