Purpose in Everything

Matthew 20:1-16

This parable reminds me of a saying I once heard…”If everyone would just sweep off their own door steps the entire street would be clean”. So many times we are more concerned about things not being fair, about someone getting more, me getting less, and so on and so forth. If we would only be concerned with our own responsibility---please notice that I didn’t say with one’s own self because that is so not what I meant. Our responsibility is to do what God asks us to do, service for him may not always seem fair or glamorous, but everything he calls us to do is to serve a purpose and that purpose is to create in us a more Christ-like being. So many times we (and I have been guilty of it) focus on the why of doing something instead of simply doing it because it just needs to be done. I remember a time not too long ago when I had been praying for God to reveal to me what he wanted me to do, what is my calling Lord I would ask, all the while thinking I know it is going to be some grand thing. Then one day I was alone in the fellowship hall at my church cleaning the counter tops, tables, and floors after an event. Now I can not ever remember a time I have been alone doing this because usually there is several of us cleaning, but for some reason the others were busy doing other things around the church---wanted to add that in there to let you know that God has a way of getting you right where he wants you in order for you to hear his voice. I was cleaning a table when I heard “this is what I want you to do”. I stopped and literally said out loud “what?” Again, I heard “this is what I want you to do” and I said “do what Lord, I am cleaning a table, I don’t understand what you want me to do”. Then I heard, “I want you to do what ever needs to be done at that time”. That was it---I had the answer to my question, but I was a bit puzzled by the reply. I kind of knew what he meant, but then again, I was looking for something more specific. It wasn’t until later that I realized that God doesn’t have one specific thing for me to do---all I need to know is that I have been called to follow and so I will.

So many times we seek an answer from God, but then we second guess it because it was not what we were thinking. We have to learn to accept it because he is God and we are not.

Just like the people who worked long hours and got the same pay as the people that worked fewer hours. The people got what they were promised, but that no longer satisfied them, they wanted the others to suffer because they didn’t have to do the same amount of work. Instead of rejoicing in the blessings of the others, they wanted more for themselves.

We have to rejoice in the blessings that the people around us receive because when we do it not only builds their spirits, it lifts ours. There is nothing like being genuinely happy for someone else’s blessing---there is no better feeling.

When we question why someone gets something when they don’t deserve it, we are questioning God’s plan. I believe with everything in me that there is purpose to every event in every person’s life, good and bad, and we can either choose to be an encourager or a discourager along the way.