More Than Fine…

Normal… Part 1

// August 20th, 2009 // Faith, Life

I couldn’t be more normal. There is nothing extraordinary about me. I’m just like you. I packed up and moved to the Dominican Republic. So what? I’m not any better or different than you. I’m not doing anything you aren’t capable of doing. I’m not any braver than you are. As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:7:

For what makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?

God did a work in me. Through his strength, power, mercy and grace I am here serving. For those who my moving to the Dominican Republic caused reflection on your own life and the value of the pursuits you dedicate your time and talents to, I implore you not to be discouraged or disheartened but to take heart in that what I did I did not do of my own power. To those of you whom a voice asked, “Am I wasting my life?”, don’t mourn the time lost but rejoice that it led you to this point and was not all for not. Give thanks that you now have the time and opportunity to truly live. Pray to your Father in heaven that you may die to your worldly desires and he may give you purpose in Him.

If you are wondering, does that mean I need to drop everything and move to another country, the answer is maybe. You need to evaluate how you use your times and talents and determine whether that is glorifying to God. Not everyone is called to be a missionary or a preacher. God leads each of us into certain places to do works in us and through us. In the Practice of Godliness, Jerry Bridges says, “Service to God through service to mankind is the only motivation acceptable to God for diligence and hard work in our vocational calling.” God may be calling to serve and glorify him as an investment banker. If he is, figure out how you can do that in God’s chosen field for you and pray that he might reveal to you how to serve him in that position. That wasn’t his plan for me in investment banking. He used it to work some things out of me. To convince me to give some things up and that they would never make me happy. He used it to show me I wasn’t going to be happy choosing my own way but needed to be obedient and grateful and go where he sent me.

So to all my normal friends out there, you are in my prayers. I pray God gives you a passion that you can’t live without.

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