You've Been Served
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One afternoon while sifting through my son’s homeschooling assignments, I came across several incomplete answers. I knew he was pre-occupied with finishing
quickly so he could have more time on games. However, looking closer, noticed there were difficult problems to solve. I may have
given him work too advanced. I noticed instead of him asking me how to solve the problem, he drew superhero figures on the page. I decided to wad it up and toss it. This may not be good teaching tactics however,
felt it best. I didn't want to see him become frustrated trying to complete a task that he wasn't prepared
for.
We would have to start from scratch. We would need to spend much time
together going over the assignment. I
knew it would be impossible for him to complete it without me.
Thinking back, I remember starting out young working in an
office environment. I had barely
graduated, and was in my first real administrative job. I had no clue of how to use a computer, Dictaphone,
or a switchboard. I
was terrified! Barely 17 and trying to
impress well-experienced adults was too much for an inexperienced me.
Forget the butterflies in stomach with nerves, it was more like mammoth moths trying to scratch their way out. I would show up to work nauseated every
morning!
There was an intimidating individual I
worked with. She didn't talk to you, she shouted. She
had a sour disposition all the time. I wasn't sure if she just hated her job, or maybe her life. You couldn't make her smile if you handed her
love on a platter wrapped in million dollar bills.
If I heard her breathe in my direction I knew
I had to prepare for the dragon blast of fire coming my way. It seemed I couldn't do anything right. I knew my days were numbered.
Sure enough, after three grueling
weeks of “Dragon Lady”, I was handed my pink slip. I grabbed my sorry looking plant singed from Dragon Lady’s blast...off
my very first desk, and quietly whimpered my way to the car. The drive home was long and tearful as I listened to, Alone Again by Gilbert O'Sullivan. I questioned, “What did I do wrong?” How was I going to explain to my parents, I
failed? I couldn't fail. I was an honor student graduating Salutatorian. I was voted most likely to
succeed. Devastated, I pulled into the
drive and sat in the vehicle till I could get it together. When I told my folks, they didn't beat me over the head with defeat. Instead
encouraged me to find another job.
I
realized many years after the fact, I was no more prepared for that type of
work, then flying to the moon. The
skills, knowledge, and understanding of working in that mature environment were
not what I had been trained in.
Yet, down the road I attained, and mastered
those skills through various work related jobs.
What seemed impossible became second nature to me through the
years. I had to be trainable. Some folks are not trainable. They believe they've learned enough, and refuse change. I firmly stand on the fact that no matter how
old you are, there is always something to learn. I am a devout life learner.
When
God gives us an assignment, I believe that He has equipped us to handle it. He has inbred the abilities to complete the job.
Yet, He also knows that we must stay close to him, to watch, listen, and
learn to navigate through to completion.
Many times we go off on our own
thinking we can complete a mission by ourselves, and forget that we need God to
follow through. If we don’t allow God to
direct our steps, we end up tripping over our egos, and falling flat on our
face. We need God to complete our
assignments, much like my son needs me.
There is no one without the other in order to succeed in the assignment. When we've been served walking papers, we need to follow
God’s leading, not our own.
TIPS TO GETTING AN "A" ON YOUR ASSIGNMENT:
1. Your assignment will always require God’s involvement: if
you can do it without God then you are not doing his will. (Exodus Chapters
6-40)
2. You must believe it is possible. (See Jeremiah)
3. Heaven knows the value of your assignment and celebrates
your obedience every time you say ‘not my will but yours Lord.’
4. You must surrender your assignment to God: get out of the
way and not talk yourself out of your assignment. (See Jonah)
5. Your assignment is a process: there are steps that have to
be taken to be effective. Do not be discouraged if the process is slow. (See David
in books of Samuel, Chronicles, and Psalms)
6. God will be the source and sponsor of your assignment: as
long as your assignment is God-centered, He will bless people in advance so they
will have the right (words, prayers, experience, network or
money) to sow into
your assignment. (see Joseph Genesis 37-50)
7. Your assignment will interfere with your previous
commitment: You might be committed to a person or on the cusp of a big
promotion and God will give you an assignment that is contrary to your personal
plans. (See Mary mother of Jesus, Matthew-Revelation)
8. To successfully execute God’s assignment you cannot be an
island. You also cannot be in toxic
environments, the kingdom is all about relationships. You will need the right people in your life to
encourage you to press on when in low places. (See Mary mother of Jesus and Elizabeth,
Luke 1:39-56)
10. Move to the right environment to cultivate the
assignment: you have to make a mental move to things that are healthy and
sometimes physically move if need be. (See Joseph, earthly
father of Jesus, Matthew 2)
11. You must act immediately: once you accept the assignment
in your spirit, start immediately in God’s direction so Satan doesn't have
room to distract or distort what God has put in you. (See Elisha when Elijah
put his mantel on him in the field, I Kings 19:19-21)
12. Stay in the right environment until you birth the assignment:
there are places, people and thoughts that are assignment killers. Your
assignment is your baby and Satan will do all he can to abort it before it
can make an impact. (See Peter the apostle, Matthew 16 & 18, Acts 12: 1-11,
I & 11 Peter)
13. Any relocation or change you make has to be related to
your assignment: keep in mind ‘is this change going to grow my assignment or
hurt it?’
14. Many will not recognize your dream: it
is a protective measure so you are rejected by the system which will lead you
down uncharted paths, and add to your testimony when the world finally catches
up with your vision. (See the birth of Jesus, Luke 1:1-20))
15. Only the discerning will recognize your calling: Only people
God wants to recognize the great things he hid in you, will see what your
assignment is at its infancy, others, even people of God, will not see it until
God reveals it to the world. (See the wise men and shepherds who came at Jesus birth, Matthew 2:1-2)
16. Know that not everyone with you is really for you: your
assignment has to be protected from seemingly nice people who may poison it,
especially in its infancy. (see King Harold at the birth of Jesus, Matthew 2:16)
17. Your star will be seen by others far away: God will send
strangers to witness to you about your assignment, those closest to you might
not see your assignment because they are too busy seeing ‘You’ but that’s fine,
God will send His people to witness and encourage you to do the work. You need
to internalize key affirmations to protect your assignment from spiritual
warfare when it comes. (1 Corinthians 4:17)
18. You are favored even when you don’t feel like it: Your
assignment will take you through low valleys but God is with you in those low
places. (II Samuel 9-20, Psalms 23 & 77)
19. Your assignment will come from what is already within
you, no matter how insignificant it seems to worldly eyes; it will never be
imparted on you from somebody else. The treasures God wants to distribute was
already buried within you before birth, nobody on earth can give you a talent
to multiply. (See Samuel)
20. Your assignment will always be in a new sphere: Your
assignment will be brand new to you, yes your life experiences will help you
but the actual mission will not be something you have done before. (See Joshua)
21. You must know your assignment will add value to people:
even if one person. Your assignment is not about you. Anything you gain while working in Gods field
is a byproduct of the assignment but the main focus is on people. Divine
assignments rarely have anything to do with the worker; he/she is just a
conduit of God’s will. (See the book of Isaiah and read on Paul the apostle, Acts
9:20-22, Galatians 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:8,)
22. Your assignment will impact your generation. It may
start small but if God is in it, your assignment will still resound to future
generations. (See Daniel)
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