Your part in God's bigger picture

And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
Luke 4:42-44, ESV

Jesus had become wildly popular and had arrived at the city of Capernaum in Galilee. The people there couldn't get enough of Him. He was teaching, healing, and casting out demons. He was all the rage and they loved Him right then and there. Relative to our practices today, we could say that they wanted him to settle down there and set up His formal ministry. But Jesus knew that He had to move on to fulfill His God-given purpose. He had been sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24), and not just to one city.

This scenario catches my attention because I can't help but feel that many of us need to learn a lesson from this. We tend to measure accuracy and success in fulfilling our Christian calling by the reception and acceptance we get from others, and by the fact that whatever we're doing is 'working' where we are. By those standards, Jesus should have settled in Capernaum, at least for a more substantial period of time - but it would have actually been a detour.

As far as God's purpose for our lives is concerned (see Ephesians 2:10), some of us will need to move on from the cities, jobs, and ministries where we are currently seeing 'results' and where we are, quite frankly, very comfortable. Let this Scripture stir you up to prayerfully seek out and walk out God's plan for your life. His plan, if faithfully carried out, is the one that will be rewarded. Depend on the wisdom of God to assess what you're really accomplishing in light of eternity, and press on to His upward call. Press on to your part in His bigger picture.

"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ~ Philippians 3:14, ESV