Learning to Drive in My Own Lane
There are a thousand things I could do, but only a few of them are things only I can do. I am unique (or so I've been told). I have unique gifts, unique passions, with a particular way of doing life (or so the Bible says). These particular expressions are a mysterious combination of how I am wired and who God has called me to be. Perhaps the secret of being in the sweet spot of God's favor is recognizing who we are and who we aren't.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)
The Apostle Paul was an amazing man - smart, savvy, theologically astute, knew his trade, hobnobbed with the best of them. He could have done anything in life. I can see him having his own tent company with satellite offices across the middle-east. I can see him doing holy land tours up Mt. Siani and pontificating on the Exodus, Passover, and the Tent of Meeting. None of that ever happened, of course, because he intentionally whittled everything he could be doing down to one thing: the thing God called him to do.
I resolved to know nothing ... He deliberately chose nothing but one thing. That was his call and he was sticking to it.
Me - on the other hand - if not intentionally bridled to his yoke and call on my life - I'm either here, there, or everywhere, running around like a charismatic chicken with its head cut off. It's only as I tighten the sails of my vessel when I can truly capture the wind and my course becomes firmly established.
How do we recognize our unique place in the Body of Christ? So many voices pull us this way and that way. What about me? I want to talk about me.
To know you are uniquely made, that there is no one else on earth like you, and that your uniqueness won't appeal to everyone (but will appeal to some) is a great place to start.
Couple that with the circumstances around various experiences you've had in the Spirit - from your conversion to times of the Lord's blessing
You'll begin to see a theme. Reflection on this theme will give you all you need to walk your particular walk and talk your particular talk and your unique role in the Body of Christ.
The Apostle Paul was a one trick pony. And this was intentional. He was uniquely made in his humanity to be uniquely anointed in his ministry. Paul was little about much else than "Christ crucified for a unified church."
Why these things? Because these things - Christ crucified and his heart for the Body of Christ - were at the conception point of his conversion. You remember, he on his horse and Jesus says "why are you persecuting me?" Jesus was equating himself with his followers. and that's precisely when he got his call. Through time, God raised him into leadership and he did little else but pour out God's love to the same people he used to persecute. Everything he did in ministry was simply an extension of the uniqueness of his conversion.
Paul was all about Christ dying and rising again and forming a unified continuation of what he began in Eden. Sure he could done a lot of other stuff. He may have even been tempted to do so (especially when beaten, hungry, and tossed into numerous jails for the Cause). But he tethered his life around the thematic call of conversion.
Spend some time reflecting on how you are wired and the thematic instances of when you most dearly experienced his Spirit across the years and you will be all the more informed of your unique place in the church. When you discover that, resolve to do only that and little more.
Resolve to only drive in your own lane.
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All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. (1 Corinthians 12:11)