Growing up in the Baptist Church, there
was a hymn we sang called "A Charge to Keep I Have."
"A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.
To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
To do
my Master’s will!"
As a child, I thought this song was
just plain boring. But lately, I have found myself singing it and meditating on
the words, because it is now, more than ever, that I feel the demand purpose it
is placing on my life.
Everything within me is seeking to
respond properly to the command God gave man from the very beginning. His
command that we will be fruitful.
And God blessed them and said to
them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its
vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish
of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves
upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28 AMP)
God's original plan and intent for
mankind is for us to be fruitful, multiply and use all of the vast resources on
the earth in the service of God and man. It is to have dominion over creation
as well. We were all created on purpose and for purpose.
The lyrics I shared previously have
a whole new meaning for me. They serve as a reminder, summing up what God
requires of me as His servant.
As a minister of reconciliation, I
have a responsibility to serve God by serving this lost generation- making
Christ known to them. Self-gratification
was never a part of that command.
There must be a refocusing and a
proper response to the original command of God.
Our prayer and desire should be that
we use all He has given us for His glory as we fulfill our purpose.
All of us have a charge to keep- a
God given assignment to fulfill. We must first believe that we were created to
bear fruit. Fruitfulness should mark our lives.
We have all faced moments in our
lives where life seemed to be everything but fruitful. This could range
anywhere from having little to no support from family and friends to having teachers
not believe in you. Some of you have had some very traumatic experiences in
your life. Whatever it was, these are the things that warred against God's
purposes and intent for you. However,
none of these things changed His place. God has still purposed that you be
fruitful. As His disciple, fruitfulness is not optional.
When you produce much fruit, you are
my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. (John 15:8 NLT)
True disciples are fruitful. When
God created us, He began with the end in mind. He already purposed that man
would be fruitful and have dominion; that man would have gifts, talents, and
creativity.
He is the God that declares the end from the beginning.
Declaring the end from the
beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My
counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ (Isaiah 46:10 NKJV)
Fruitfulness is God's expected end
for His creation. So right now, if you are finding yourself at a place of
stagnation, frustration, or discontent, this is not your expected end.
Find rest knowing that God has an amazing plan for your life. Believe that you will do awesome
things as you serve Him and His creation. In this season, do not look back at
the past through eyes of regret, but instead be thankful that God allows
opportunities to prune you even more as He propels you into purpose.
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