I Must Be In The Wrong Place

 There is no greater fulfillment than doing God’s work. You will not dislike God’s plan for your life.

Have you ever been in a place you know you don’t belong? The feeling is unmistakable.

I once walked into a women’s bathroom by mistake. Instantly, I had plenty of help figuring out what I had done wrong.

But, that’s not the kind of “wrong place” I’m referring to here. I’m talking about being in the wrong place in life.

I was there several years ago. I was working in a job that provided well and was not all that stressful. Lori and I had plenty of money and free time. I should have been quite content.

I was comfortable. But, I was miserable. Comfortably miserable.

Clearly, something was missing in my life. One Sunday, our pastor said, “God has a plan for your life.” I had never heard that before. Not once in my life.

It was like someone finally turned the lights on. Wow! That must be what I’m missing!

I set about searching for God’s plan for my life. Maybe God wants me to build a huge business so I can give lots of money to the poor. Or, maybe God wants me to help heal people.

What is it God? What do you want me to do?

After searching and searching, I finally discovered that God’s plan for my life is…intimacy.

Yes, intimacy. God wants a relationship with me. He has the same plan for you.

A Pharisee asked Jesus this question: “What is God’s greatest commandment?” And, how did Jesus answer? Did he say the greatest commandment is to make a lot of money and give to the poor? Did he say that curing disease tops God’s list? How about loving other people? Perhaps that is the greatest commandment.

All of those are important to God. But, not most important.

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22: 37-38, NIV)

It seems pretty clear to me: God wants us to love him. Our primary purpose is intimacy with the Father. It’s why he created us.

He also wants us to go to heaven. Jesus said,

“And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.” (John 6:39, NIV)

God doesn’t want anyone to be lost. It is his will that each one of us be with him forever and ever.

But, God has a problem. Some have never heard of him. Many who have heard of him don’t know him. They think they know him, but they don’t, really.

God is not some distant, uncaring judge just waiting for us to make a mistake so he can punish us.

No, God is not a meanie.

And, he needs you and me to show the world how good he is.

Living Out His Plan

I first needed to understand that God’s primary design for me is to be in relationship with him. Once I started living that way, life became amazing!

Wow, God you really care about every detail of my life; you want to be involved! 

As I walked closely with God, he began to show me how I could help others experience that same intimacy.

You see, God has given us all talents and abilities that make us different from each other, yet equally important. Through us, God uses those gifts to orchestrate his kingdom plans.

For just as each of us has one body with many members,
and these members do not all have the same function,
so in Christ we, though many, form one body,
and each member belongs to all the others.
We have different gifts, according to the
grace given to each of us.
(Romans 12:4-6a, NIV)

I discovered that my gifts include healing, teaching, giving and showing mercy. God has given you gifts, too. Do you know what they are?

Eventually, I left my job and started multiple businesses. It has not been easy, but I am blessed because of the experience. God is at work in my life; he called me out of the cocoon I was in, called me to live the life He had designed just for me.

Yet, we humans often have difficulty trusting God.

In the midst of all this change in my life, I got scared. What if I don’t like the assignment God gives me? What if he calls me to do something crazy, like go live with African bushmen and wear a loin cloth?

I shouldn’t have worried and neither should you. There is no greater fulfillment than doing God’s work. You will not dislike God’s plan for your life.

Jesus said,

“I have come that they may life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10b, NIV)

Since answering God’s call to intimacy, life has been exhilarating! I have received miraculous provision, I have experienced the joy of leading people to Christ, seen legs grow before my very eyes, I have received prophetic words and taken a missions trip to remote parts of Africa.

(And, no, not all bushmen wear loincloths; some of them wear soccer t-shirts.)

We all want a better life. The world says we need more money, more possessions, more leisure, more indulgence. I had those things. And, I was empty.

Are you feeling like you’re somewhere you don’t belong? I believe it is God calling you.

He has a plan for your life, and it is a good plan. Ultimately, he has things he wants you to do. He might call you to work with the poor or the orphaned. Maybe he is calling you to minister to the sick. Maybe he wants you to financially support ministries. Perhaps his plan for you is to parent children who will do all of these things. That is for you to discover.

But, it starts with intimacy. Get to know your God. He is a good god who loves you dearly.