Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them. 1 Corinthians 7:17a NIV
John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.” John 3:27 NLT
Many of us struggle with things we don’t have – not just money and things it can buy, but relationships, positions, success, giftings, talents, inheritances, and opportunities. As soon as we have a goal, it is easy for our good desires to take over, and we have specifics and timelines we want God and others to follow.
John the Baptist did not get caught up in that. He had an amazing ministry, but his disciples worried because this new rabbi Jesus was getting more disciples now than John, even some defecting from John’s team. But instead of feeling less than and envious, John’s perspective was that anything God chose to put in his hands could not be taken away, so he would not waste his time on being competitive. He would stick willingly with what God had told him to do. He recognized that the reason he was here was different from the reason Jesus was here. But they were both in the service of God. His peace was a direct outflow of his perspective on God and himself. He believed that he could trust God to give him the opportunities, giftings, and success that he needed at the right time, as long as he was faithful.
We all have gifts, resources, and abilities. There is no reason to feel insecure, less than, or arrogant about what we have in comparison to others. No one could have anything they have, even an opportunity, unless God allowed it. Of course, it is our privilege AND responsibility to take what we have been given, then work with wisdom and diligence to make the most of it, but we leave the results to God. We are to be content with what God does with us, and neither boast about nor bemoan what we have. This is where joy and satisfaction are found.
Contentment honors God by our acceptance of our lives and how He has equipped us. We are diligent with what we have been given. This is the strong starting point for our lives, the place where maturity is born and thrives. We become wise enough to be grateful. We leave the results of our best obedience in God’s hands. Everything that looks like success is not. As the proverb says, everything that glitters is not gold. Our current lives and newsreels show us that. John’s life had moments of great public success and others that didn’t garner him much applause. But when the bottom line was written, Jesus himself said, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11 NLT).
- God, help me become an accountable, responsible steward of every asset You have given me. Help me not complain or envy but live in the light of Your perspective.