Ambitions Vs. Capabilities

As your spiritual teacher I give this piece of advice to each one of you. Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all. For just as you have many members in one physical body and those members differ in their functions, so we, though many in number, compose one body in Christ and are all members of one another. Through the grace of God we have different gifts. If our gift is preaching, let us preach to the limit of our vision. If it is serving others let us concentrate on our service; if it is teaching let us give all we have to our teaching; and if our gift be the stimulating of the faith of others let us set ourselves to it. Let the man who is called to give, give freely; let the man who wields authority think of his responsibility; and let the man who feels sympathy for his fellows act cheerfully.

Romans 12:3-8 

 

What did you want to be when you grew up?  I'll bet you never dreamed of growing up and being miserable in your job.  I'm also willing to wager that what you do now was probably not what you initially dreamed of doing.  When I was a youngster, I wanted to be a garbage collector.  Why?  How cool was it, in my young mind, to ride on the back of a huge truck?  And then....I got a whiff of one of those trucks and my decision changed drastically.

 

At some point, I decided I wanted to become a pastor.  That is, until I became one and learned very quickly how "church folk" can ruin a dream.  But God still had a plan for me and brought me through His carefully laid out plan to get me where I need to be, a place where my capabilities and ambitions coincide with God's purposes.  

 

God has a plan for each of us, plans to prosper and encourage.  The Pit Dweller also has plans for us, plans for failure and discouragement. Whose plans would you choose to accept?  Probably, the plans that prosper and encourage.  Yet we see time after time that we chase the carrot dangled in front of us by the Pit Dweller whose empty promises of fame and fortune are forever tempting.

 

Think about this: Not everyone can be a police officer, because God hasn't given everyone the capability.  Not everyone can be a great chef, because God hasn't given everyone that capability.  Not everyone can be a great athlete, because God hasn't given everyone that capability.  When we look at our capabilities, and let God show us how to use them, we find that niche that God has prepared us to fill!