Our Placement

God has each of us where we are at for a very special purpose in mind. Sometimes, we are able to pinpoint the Lord’s reason’s behind us being called to a specific location and then other times we will need to seek out God’s reasons through much prayer and simply being patient in God’s timing to reveal to us His motivations for our placement. We have to keep in the forefront of our minds during the season of waiting that God is not trying to punish us, but to teach us. The Lord does not call us to a place for no reason at all. He calls us to a place for His plans and purposes. We just need to make sure that we are not fighting the placement in the process. I have spent way too much time fighting the placement and it wasn’t until I saw the why behind the placement that I was able to be thankful for where I was placed. God does not make mistakes in His placement of us. Sometimes we just have to be willing to wait for His reasons to be revealed, and trust that He knows exactly what He is doing even when we don’t have a clue. That is why it is called faith. We have to trust that God knows better than we do!

Example of Jonah

If we take a look at the life of Jonah, we can see just how quickly things can go wrong when we fight our placement. (Jonah 1) Jonah was called to go to Nineveh. Nineveh was a city so full of wickedness that Jonah had decided he didn’t like the idea that God would call him to such a place. Jonah had viewed Nineveh as hopeless, and a lost cause, so much so that he decided to fight the placement by running from it. This caused a whole mess for Jonah until he finally realized that God’s way was better then his way.

I’m sure we have all run from the placement of God a time or two, and if we have not run then perhaps we have just fought God about the placement. How does fighting with an omniscient God make any sense? When did we get to the same all foreseeing level as our all knowing creator? Can I get a big NEVER on that one! Yet, we are still willing to say to God “I’m not going there”, or “I’m not doing that.” Thankfully, just like God was patient with Jonah, He will be just as patient with us as well.

Are there going to be times when we question the placement? Absolutely, but that does not mean we should not obey. Just because we do not understand everything that God is doing does not give us the license to say “no way.”,  “not a chance.” or “not me God.” Our Lord is looking for a yielded heart, one that is willing to jump out of the boat and walk on water when He says “Come.” (Matthew 14:28-29) How many of us are willing to do that? How many of us would much rather fight the placement and simply stay in the comfort of our little boat when Christ is out in the water beckoning our name? God will not call us to a place and then abandon us. Just like Jonah, he will go with us to the location He is calling us to go. And while we are there He will teach us a few things (sometimes even a lot of things). The Lord is faithful to work in each of us His character through our circumstances and placement, but we must be willing to let Him do the work. When we fight the placement we inevitably end up fighting the very hand of God working out His character in our lives. All this does is prolong our journey around the mountain. It simply means that instead of taking the direct route to where we are called, we just might get swallowed up by a whale until we have learned to trust and obey that God is God and we are not.

Envying others

Not only do we have to make sure we are not fighting the Lord on the specific area He has placed us, but we also must make sure we are not looking at others around us and wishing that we were placed where God has them. God has wired each of us so very differently! I was not designed to function in your placement, and you were not designed to function  in mine. Actually, if we would try to switch places we would find ourselves more frustrated and exasperated then if we had simply learned to flourish where God had originally placed us. It’s kind of like plants. God designed certain plants to flourish in certain environments and if we take that plant and put it in a different environment it inevitably dies because it was only designed for one specific environment. If we put a rainforest plant and place it in the middle of the Sierra Dessert, it will be dead within weeks. God has designed each of us to grow and thrive in a specific placement. Embrace where God has placed you!

Keep in mind too, that sometimes God will call us out of one placement and take us to another. Be willing to not only accept the one you are currently in, but to also look forward to the one you are called to as well. The Lord called the Hebrew children out of Egypt and to the Promise land, but before they could get there, they had to go through the desert. They did not embrace the desert in the least bit. In fact, all they did for 40 years was fight with God about their placement. That 40 years could have been drastically cut down if they had accepted where the Lord had them for the season and looked forward to where the Lord was taking them. Embrace your placement.

Thank you Lord that you work all things together for the good for those who love you (Romans 8:28). Thank you that you know the plans and purposes you have for us (Jeremiah 29:11). Father, I pray that we remember these things in those moments when you beckon us to come to a placement we are uncertain of. Help us to put our trust and our faith in you and to keep it there! You know all and see all and therefore know what is best for us.Thank you for being willing to place us in specific places to build your character in our lives. Help us not to run from or fight the placement you have specifically hand chosen for us. Help us not to envy the placement of others. Lord you have the very best for us in mind. Help us to recall that in those moments of second guessing. In the precious name of Jesus Christ