Do you ever wonder why God allows some people to do “grand” things, while others never get the chance to hit the big time?
There are many names in Christian circles that almost everyone knows. Names like Charles Stanley, David Jeremiah, and John MacArthur. They get the television spots and book contracts. When they write something, it doesn’t even have to be good—their name automatically sells products.
There are many others whose names might not be known quite as widely, but they have a lot of influence in the Christian world. Some of my favorites are Greg Koukl, Frank Turek, Mike Winger, and John Lennox. While I may not agree with them on every point, God has gifted them with abilities and opportunities that others do not have.
Dedicated people serve God in every corner of the world, and we don’t know their names. They might pastor a tiny church in a cornfield, carry medicine to a tribe in the jungle, or provide food for sick folks. We pass them on the street every day and don’t give them a second glance. There have written no books, they have few social media followers, and when they’re gone, the attendance at their funeral will be sparce.
This can get discouraging, especially when we temporarily forget that we’re serving God, not our own legacy. But, even in our moments of legitimate piety, we would often like to make a bigger splash for the kingdom of God—like those “big name” guys.
What would God say to this? While He would appreciate our passion, he might instruct us to “Stay in your lane.” He has given each of us a task, and that is what we’re supposed to do.
I was recently reading in I Chronicles 17 where King David wanted to build a house for God. One day, as he was enjoying the comfort of his house, a guilty realization came over him: God still lived in a tent. Immediately he summoned the prophet Nathan and informed him that he was going to build a Temple dedicated to the worship of God. Although Nathan originally gave his blessing, God had other plans. He appeared to Nathan in a dream and instructed him to inform David that he was not to build the Temple. That job would go to his son.
That’s really something when you think of it. David wanted to do something great for God, but God said, “No.” Why would God prohibit someone from doing something for Him?
Maybe God knew that David’s skill was not architecture. David was a warrior. It was his task to stabilize the kingdom of Israel. Building the Temple would be a side project and might not get the attention that it deserved. David’s son, Solomon, however, would enjoy the relative peace brought on by David’s conquests. He would be able to devote more attention to the building of the Temple, and the results would be superior to what David could have accomplished.
God did not give each of us with the ability to do everything, but He did give each of us the ability to do something.
I have seen this clearly in my life. The pastor before me at Eastlake came in the early 2000’s. He stepped into a difficult situation and was able to provide stability. Most importantly, he reconciled two churches back into one.
When I came in early 2017, Eastlake was healthy and strong. We immediately began working on our facilities. We renovated the whole parking lot and one section of our building. We’ve done work in other areas of the building, and in two weeks we will begin an overhaul of our worship center. I believe that is part of what God called me here to do. That’s my lane.
The former pastor had the job of bringing reconciliation, and my job is to build on that to bring Eastlake into the future.
God has designed us each in different ways and enabled us to handle different tasks. That does not mean that we should never step out into the unknown and try new things. It does mean that if God closes doors to what we might call “bigger” things, we need to be content where we are and work our tails off for the glory of God.
Maybe I can summarize it this way: Stay in your lane, but drive as hard as you can.
