What’s in a name?
Anybody get a name like Chunk, Schnoz, or Dumbo hung on them in grammar school that you didn’t like but it stuck for a while, maybe even a long while? Today, I’d like to suggest we look at our uniqueness from God’s perspective. After all, He made us exactly as He wanted, nose, ears, all of it.
Isaiah 43:1 tells us, “…I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!” Think of the implications of that statement. God knows our name. He also knows everything about us, and not only us but every person who ever lived. We can’t hide from Him although Jonah tried, and God sent a “great fish” to swallow him up until he came to his senses. (Jon. 1:17) If we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, this should be a comfort to us. We’re not going to get lost in the crowd. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 33:18, “…the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him.” That’s only a scary thought if you’re trying to hide from God.
God knows us.
He made us unique, and has a purpose for each of us that will be different from others. Peter, one of Jesus’ inner circle, had to be reminded of that when he was concerned about what Jesus had planned for fellow inner-circle disciple John. Peter asks Jesus, “Lord, what about this man [John]?” Jesus tells Peter that it’s not his concern, “…if I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” (Jn. 21:22) In a polite way He was saying “that’s John’s business, you take care of Peter.”
That’s a good reminder for us today when we have our hands full with our own plate. Certainly our mission involves other people but we’re not responsible for the outcome of our obedience. Some of us plant, some water, but it’s God who reaps the harvest. We’re only measured on our faithfulness to Christ’s calling, not how many turn from a life of evil to one of righteousness.
Sometimes we try to hide…
from God in our busyness. Many of us categorize or pigeon-hole our lives into tightly sealed compartments consisting of “religious” activities and “secular” activities. Our Sundays, at least the mornings, are reserved for church. The rest of the week we’re busy with work, kid duties, all sorts of activities. How does that jibe with God’s command? “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor. 10:31) If “all” means all, then is there really even a “secular” category? Hmmm.
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