The subject of service is one I believe most of us are familiar with, especially concerning its function in each person’s growth process or journey towards our grand God-given goals and destinies. Both scripture and sayings/quotes in the “secular realm” preach and allude to service as the path to or display of greatness. As such, this is one aspect of the subject matter we would not dwell on today.
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Sometimes we get excited by the grandness of our God-given visions and destinies, bustling with faith-driven, grace-given energy, with that extra jump in our step, ready to get going, ready to get started, ready to take over the world…but “having to get it right”, we sometimes find it difficult to identify any channel suitable enough, well-aligned or well-deserving for the start of our great journey. I mean, it’s a great journey, God has given us a new vision, unlike ever before, we’re pioneers and we cannot afford to “put new wine into old wineskin”, so we go looking for a novel channel, a white elephant, a unicorn, a “wild goose”.
Other times (and more often than not), we find ourselves overwhelmed by the greatness of our destiny, or goals, that it becomes difficult to start. Overcome by sheer load of the task, or doubting either our ability to deliver, the feasibility of the destiny (given socio-economic realities), or uncertain that God’s call wasn’t a butt-dial or a case of “wrong number”, we tend to wait for things to be just right, to align, for that money to land, or that admission to click, or this person to call you up, or that person to accept your offer. On this side of the coin, we may end up “leading ourselves into the wilderness”, looking for a burning bush, a wet fleece on dry ground (or the other way around), a foot taller in height, a visible and apparent 10x better, the descending of a dove on our head, a barefoot trip across a river, a “sign”.
If you can relate to any of the above before we go on, I’d like to say, breathe…
Just like you would rather obtain products and services from a vendor who has a track record, or one with social credibility — either based on a recommendation from friends and colleagues, or reviews or some other form of social proof — so also, God will not use an untested vessel. He may call you while you “unqualified”, but He would not use you to the fullest capacity to attain your destiny in said state. Rather, He would equip you and build you up in spirit and mind till you come to the stature of what He has planned for you. We can cite several examples in scripture ranging from the journey of Father of Faith, Abraham, to Joseph, to David, all the way up to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Even a King Saul who, by and large, was the product of the Israelites request, and is sometimes viewed as an example of a “half-baked” king, went through tests, and acts of service on his way to kingship — acts of service that at the time seemed completely unrelated to the endpoint.
Today, I would like to remind you that your start channel is already around you, very likely within your immediate environment. Funny enough, it could be something you are already doing, an assignment you already have that you may have belittled, something that may be classified as undesirable, or a task taken on grudgingly or the product of a “mistake” or “mishap”.
David, the “forgotten son”, was already taking care of “little sheep” before he was anointed to be King of Israel. Joseph was already “playing manager” giving reports to his father before he went through his leadership journey. God is not a wicked taskmaster, who would ask you to make bricks without giving you straw. The Bible says He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
In summary, I would like to remind you to breathe. The seeds of your destiny, however small or seemingly inconsequential compared to your destiny, are already within your grasp. You may just need to take a second and closer look, and then put in that little extra effort, pay a little more attention, and be more deliberate. Your start, like the length of this note, is in the little things.
Do have a blessed week.
Itoro Nehemiah