His Story in Your Story

Who has believed our report?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isaiah 53:1-3

You may recognize the above verses as those that describe the most compelling figure in history.  I cannot imagine throngs of people lining up to see this Man speak based on this description. Yet, He is known as a great storyteller and possesses a most amazing personal story. He spoke with confidence and passion as He proclaimed Truth to both the weak and powerful. He was sensitive enough to His audience that He was able to distinguish the push of a crowd from the touch of a desperately ill woman. His eye contact was so penetrating that one glance caused one wavering follower to break down in tears. He was so focused on the needs of others that in the midst of the horrific pain of crucifixion He compelled a thief to follow Him and a fisherman to care for His mother.

You may also feel “despised and rejected.” God has created you with purpose; He has given you a story. As you discover the passion for which God has created you, whether it is binary code, selling insurance, or pastoring a church; that passion can develop into a compelling message to which others will listen. I may not understand how ones and zeroes work in programming a computer, but I am grateful to those who do and in doing so impact my life and our world with technology. Even if you think your circle of influence is small, God has given you a story to tell and an audience to hear. Your life and vocation have been ordained by God to reflect His image. You may not feel compelling, but God can use His story in your life to impact your world.

Excellent Read Concerning Your Vocation:
Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller