Romans 9:21 - What is Your Role?

Over the weekend, as I was listening to the message in church and my eyes wandered past the scripture being read and talked about, down a few verses and I came across Romans 9:21.

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?

 (yes, I confess, my mind wanders beyond the borders of the message during church)

 It started me thinking about different people's roles in sharing God's message and working for God's Kingdom. I myself have at times, thought, "OK, God, what is my role in your plan? What great thing do you have planned for me?"

This verse reminded me that sometimes the answer (from an earthly perspective) is none. God does not intend for each person to be a great evangelist or to be saintly in good works...we were not all formed to be Billy Graham, Martin Luther King Jr., or Mother Theresa. We will not all be known throughout the country or the world for our work and faith.

Some of us were intended to be known just as that person who smiled while passing out food, the person who listened when pain and frustration were being poured out, that person who wrote a letter to point out a community injustice. Some of us were intended to be the glue that holds people together and keeps them pointed in the right direction.

From an earthly perspective, that isn't great, but in God's Kingdom, those things are. Remember that Mark 10: 43 tells us,

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant...

The larger-than-life spiritual heroes are important. They motivate, inspire and bring people together. They spread a message to a vast number of people. The problem is, that it is the personal piece that keeps things going and makes the work deep and long-lasting. Those spiritual heroes can't have personal relationship with all those people who they motivate and inspire. That is when the common, or everyday Christian takes over. That person does the work, the lesser known work, the simple, everyday work; just living a life right with God.

There is not more value to one or the other, although sometimes it feels like that famous spiritual hero is more important than you or I. Each of us is a part of the tapestry of God's design. The song. Through Heaven's Eyes always reminds me that every contribution is important and sometimes we don't fully know how important.

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life 

 What is your role? Do you value it?

God does!