You Be You
So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel
according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. (Joshua
11:23)
No one else has
your "you-ness." No one else in all history has your unique history.
No one else in God's great design has your divine design. No one else shares
your blend of personality, ability and ancestry. You are heaven's first and
final attempt at you. You are matchless, unprecedented and unequaled.
Consequently, you can do something no one else can do in a fashion no one else
can. You aren't the only person with your skill. But you are the only one with
your version of your skill. Call it what you wish. A talent. A skill set. A
gift. An anointing. A divine spark. An unction. A call. The terms are
different, but the truth is the same: "The Spirit has given each of us a
special way of serving others." (1 Cor. 12:7) Each of us – not some of us, a few of us, or the elite among us.
Each of us has a special way – a
facility, a natural strength, a tendency or an inclination. This "special
way" is the work for which you are ideally suited. This is your destiny.
This is you at your best. This is Canaan.
Many people stop
short of their destiny. They settle for someone else's story. "Grandpa was
a butcher, Dad was a butcher, so I guess I'll be a butcher."
"Everyone I know is in farming, so I guess I'm supposed to farm."
Consequently, they risk leading dull, joyless and fruitless lives. They never
sing the song God wrote for their voices. They never cross a finish line with
heavenward-stretched arms and declare, "I was made to do this!" They
fit in, settle in and blend in. But they never find their call. Don't make the
same mistake. "It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us
new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend
these lives in helping others." (Eph. 2:10) Your existence is not
accidental. Your skills are not incidental. God "shaped each person in
turn." (Ps. 33:15)
Uniqueness is a
big message in the Bible. And it’s a huge message in the book of Joshua. In
fact, one could argue that the majority of its chapters advance one command:
know your territory and possess it. Joshua's first goal was to establish Israel
in Canaan by taking the land, neutralizing the enemy armies, and eliminating
the major seats of authority. The lists of conquered kings in chapter 12
proclaim, “The land is taken.” The rest of the book urges, “Now, take the land.”
As a result, each tribe was given a distinct territory and/or assignment. The
inheritance was for everyone. All the Hebrews were welcomed to Canaan – the old,
the young, the feeble, the forceful. The inheritance was universal. But the
assignments were individual. They are listed in detail in Joshua 13-21. And if
you can't fall asleep tonight, read those chapters.
The book moves
from an action novel to a land survey. The pages make for dull reading unless,
of course, you stand to inherit something. But since all the Israelites stood
to receive an inheritance, they all stood alert as Joshua assigned their
territories. Each tribe was called forward. Reuben, Gad, Manasseh, etc. Each territory was different.
Judah's parcel was large and central. Dan's section was smaller and coastal.
Even the assignments were unique. The tribe of Levi, for example, wasn’t given
any land, but God himself as their inheritance. Their role was to lead worship
and teach the Torah.
The big message
was this: No one gets everything, but everyone gets something. Drive out the
remaining enemies. Build your farms. Cultivate your fields. Find your lot in
life and indwell it. And Joshua wasn't the only commander to distribute
territories. Jesus distributes gifts that are unique as well. The apostle Paul
explained it this way: "[God] has given each one of us a special gift
through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, 'When he
ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his
people.'" (Eph. 4:7-8) The apostle was using the metaphor of a victorious
king. It was common in Paul's day for the conquering monarch to return to his
palace with prisoners and treasures in tow. He celebrated his conquest by
giving gifts to his people. So did Jesus. Having defeated sin and death on the
cross, he ascended to heaven, took his rightful place at the right hand of God,
and "gave gifts to his people." Jesus, eternally crowned, distributing
abilities and skills. Wow.
Joshua said,
"Tribe of Judah, take the high country." "Manasseh, occupy the
valleys." "People of Gad, inhabit the land east of the Jordan."
Jesus says, “Joe, take your place in the domain of medicine.” “Mary, your
territory is accounting.” “Susan, I give you the gift of compassion. Now occupy
your territory.” Everybody gets a gift. And these gifts come in different doses
and combinations. “Each person is given something to do that shows who God is.”
(1 Cor. 12:7) Our inheritance is grace-based and equal. But our assignments are
tailor-made. No two snowflakes are the same. No two fingerprints are the same. So
why would two skill sets be the same? No wonder Paul said, “Make sure you
understand what the Master wants.” (Eph. 5:17) Do you understand what your
Master wants?
Do you know what
makes you, you? Have you identified the features that distinguish you from
every other human who has inhaled oxygen? You have an “acreage” to develop, a
lot in life. So, “make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you
have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” (Gal. 6:4) In other words,
you be you. "If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies." (1
Peter 4:11, emphasis mine). Ability reveals destiny. So, what’s your ability?
What do you do well? What do people ask you to do again? What task comes
easily? What topic keeps your attention? Your skill set is your road map. It
leads you to your territory.
God loves you
too much to give you a job and not the skills. Identify yours. What you do for
a living should conform to your design. Few situations are more miserable than
a job misfit. Yet few maladies are more common. One study concluded that only
13% of all workers find their work truly meaningful. No wonder commuters look
so grumpy: nearly nine out of ten of them don't want to go to work. So, find
something you like to do, and do it so well that people pay you to do it. Look
for ways to align your job with your skills. This may take time. This may take
several conversations with your boss. This may take trial and error . . . but
don't give up. Not every tuba player has the skills to direct the orchestra. If
you can, great. Then do it. But if you can't, blast away on your tuba with
delight. "Stir up the gift of God which is in you." (2 Tim. 1:6, emphasis mine) You be you.
Don't be your
parents or grandparents. You can admire them, appreciate them, and learn from
them. But you can’t be them. You aren't them. "Don't compare yourself with
others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you
can with your own life." (Gal. 6:4-5) Jesus was insistent on this.
After the
resurrection he appeared to some of his followers. He gave Peter a specific
pastoral assignment that included great sacrifice. The apostle responded by
pointing at John and saying, "'Lord, what about him?' Jesus answered, 'If
I want him to live until I come back, that is not your business. You follow me.'"
(John 21:21-22) In other words, don't occupy yourself with another person's
assignment; stay focused on your own.
A little boy
named Adam wanted to be like his friend Bobby. Adam loved the way Bobby walked
and talked. Bobby, however, wanted to be like Charlie. Something about
Charlie's stride and accent intrigued him. Charlie, on the other hand, was
impressed with Danny. Charlie wanted to look and sound like Danny. Danny, of
all things, had a hero as well: Adam. He wanted to be just like Adam. So Adam
was imitating Bobby, who was imitating Charlie, who was imitating Danny, who
was imitating Adam. Turns out, all Adam had to do was be himself.
So stay in your
own lane. Run your own race. Nothing good happens when you compare and compete.
God doesn’t judge you according to the talents of others. He judges you
according to your own. His yardstick for measuring faithfulness is how faithful
you are with your own gifts. You’re not responsible for the nature of your gift,
but you are responsible for how you use it. Don’t be like the Hebrews. I wish I
could report that each tribe moved quickly into its land, drove out the
inhabitants, and put the acreage to good use. They didn't. In some cases the
tribes didn’t drive out the enemies: "The children of Israel did not drive
out the Geshurites or the Maachathites." (Josh. 13:13) "They did not
drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer." (16:10) Your enemy, the
devil, is determined to linger in your land as well. You must drive him out. He’ll
lure you with thoughts of greed, power or jealousy. So, be on your guard.
Unfortunately,
other tribes fell victim not to the Canaanites, but to their own laziness. Long
after Joshua had distributed the land, seven of the tribes were still in the
military camp. Joshua had to scold them: "How long will you neglect to go
and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?"
(18:3) How do we explain their indolence? They marched out of the wilderness
and conquered the land. Yet when the time came to inherit their unique parcels,
they got lazy. Don't make the same mistake. You are an heir with Christ of
God's estate. He has placed his Spirit in your heart as a down payment. What
God said to Joshua, he says to you: "Every place that the sole of your
foot will tread upon I have given you." (1:3) But you must possess it. You
must deliberately receive what God so graciously gives. All that you need to
enter your inheritance is to walk by faith. So walk. Move forward. Find your
lot in life and live in it.
You
be you.
Grace,
Randy
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