Finding Your Place

Jubilee Family Church

This is Johnny making a quick post today. I hope Pastor Tony doesn’t mind, but he did allow me to be a contributor to his blog…

I felt compelled to spread a word of encouragement today – partly because I need to hear it myself, and partly because I believe there’s someone else out there that needs to hear it right now.

I want to talk about finding your place in the Kingdom. This is something I have spent most of my life struggling with – and I still haven’t gotten all of the answers yet.

I’ve grown up in church and I’ve heard all the sermons about divine authority and the offices and callings and ministry categories that are available in the church today. Not to be rude, but there are times where I do believe that Christian culture has put God in a box by developing too many labels and categories that we are to fit into if we are to be successful in ministry.

This has been especially hard for me at times because when I was 13 years old, I had a prophecy pronounced over me. In that prophecy I found that my ministry gift was creativity. Part of that prophecy stated that I would be known everywhere I went as creative. It was odd to me at the time because I’m not a singer or musician, and I don’t draw or paint well. How could this be?

Well, along the way, I found out that I have a gift for words and telling stories and that has become my art. I am also creative in a number of different ways. But where does that fit into the ministry of the church? I spent a long time feeling inferior because I didn’t have a specific place. While I can flow in different gifts of the spirit, offices, and callings, I never really fit into any position. I spent years feeling like I was falling through the spiritual cracks. Yet, somehow, I am now known everywhere I go as being creative.

About a year and half ago, we were going through a lot of changes with our church. Transitions tend to stir up old feelings that have sat dormant. Yet again, I wondered where my place was going to be and how I would be able to fit in. I started feeling like I was slipping through the cracks again. I even used to call myself the “gap filler” because I was always “filling in” until someone better came along. As much as I wanted a place to belong, I was always the temporary solution.

Yet, at this time God reminded me of something. Gap fillers are necessary. Without the mortar a brick wall would not be able to stand the test of time. There is a purpose for the things that have fallen into the cracks. They secure the foundation. They hold things together.

I can’t tell you how many times people used to come up to me and tell me that others may not see what I do, but God does. He remembers. There are times when that’s not at all comforting. But in hindsight, I understand now. Not everyone sees the beauty in the goopy gray goo that gets plopped in between each layer of bricks.

But for today, from one pile of goo to another, I want you to know that you are necessary. You are valued. You are important. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You have a purpose. You just might be the glue that holds things together.

Now, let me clarify something. Am I so important that things couldn’t go on without me? Absolutely not. God can always raise someone else up to take my place and your place. But would it be the same? Never.

I’ve now learned to be happy with my role as “gap filler.” It has given me the opportunity to help others succeed. That, in and of itself, is strategic seed toward my own destiny.

Have a great rest of the week.

johnny

P.S. If you haven't been reading the stories over on my Family Fiction blog page, you really should.