“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” Eph 2:10
I was saying to my wife the other day how much patience and willpower God has (metaphorically speaking). For example, imagine how it will feel to be given the supernatural power to create things at will. You are then given an opportunity to travel back in time to the prehistoric age – where men lived in caves. Picture this!! You are back in time and you are standing over this particular individual who is bent over and on his or her knees. You are watching them try so hard to rub two sharp stones together. They are really struggling. What are they doing? They are trying to start a fire so that they can cook or reheat their food. You watch them knowing that where you come from you have something called a “microwave”.
I am sure you wish you could make a microwave magically appear and hand it to them. But it does not work that way. God from creation gave man free will and after that ordained a universal law not to directly interfere in man’s affairs. This means the early man had to first discover fire by knocking together two stones; discover how to use fire wood, discover the act of cooking using clay pots and stoves and many many years after discover electricity and subsequently invent kitchen appliances like the microwave and electric oven.
Why did it take so long to invent these things?
For example, the microwave oven. It is because each component of the microwave had to be discovered or invented first by someone, before the actual microwave itself. Each component took a lot of time and energy, strength and determination from its inventor. They had to persist and persevere and had to have an inner strength and resolve to carry on despite many unsuccessful attempts and failures. After that, it still took many years of refinement and continuous upgrade by various others to get the version of the product we now use.
It is amazing to note that it probably took thousands of very determined and purpose driven individuals from various parts of the world, hundreds and hundreds of years to produce most of the everyday products, appliances and gadgets we use today. Each individual’s role is/was essential and invaluable in the overall scheme of things. Without that individual, no matter how small their contribution was, the end product could never have been produced. Each individual now have their place in history because of their contribution.
I remember the story in the bible of the encounter between Jesus Christ and Samaritan woman at the well (John 4 4-26). The story described how Jesus "had to go through" Samaria. This means he was led by the Holy Spirit to specifically use this route to get to his destination. Jesus could have used other routes. Why that particular route? It was a divine appointment. God earnestly wanted the people of Samaria to hear about Jesus and the good news of the Gospel.
For this particular assignment God could not use the disciples of Jesus to reach the Samaritans - no matter how appointed and anointed they were as apostles. God had just one person in mind to play the role of the evangelist. It had to be that specific woman. Through her encounter with Jesus Christ, she was set free and delivered from all her issues, after which she came back home preaching about Christ. The bible says "many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him (Jesus) because of the woman’s testimony... So when the Samaritans finally came to meet Jesus, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days” John 4 39-40.
The above story clearly shows us that every single individual in the kingdom of God has a great role to play. We may see ourselves as small or even insignificant in certain areas. The Samaritan woman at the well saw herself as a serial divorcee with so many failed marriages. But because of the role she played after meeting with Jesus Christ, she now has a place in history as the one God used to open her entire town to the gospel and ministry of Jesus.
I believe we do underestimate the role and powerful influence we have in our family and community and our elevated position of being seated with Christ in heavenly places. The scripture says: “for we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10.
Each and every one of us has an extremely important and essential role to play in our local church, our family and our community. Let us take up our cross, always seek to apply ourselves, push forward and never give in or give up. Our impact and influence may not be immediately apparent for all to see, but it is a vital and essential component of the great work God has planned for humanity not just for now but in many many years to come.
So I encourage you to begin from today to take your seat in the house of God, seek His face and allow God to use you to your fullest potential. By so doing, you, like other great inventors, discoverers and the Samaritan woman will also “take your seat in history”.
