Lead the Life that the Lord has Assigned
“Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.” (1 Corinthians 7:17, ESV)
According to the Vine's Complete Compository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, “assigned to him' in this case means what has been dealt to him in life; 'called' means to be invited into.
In this scripture verse, Paul is telling the Corinthians that now that they are saved and have been invited into the Kingdom, they are to occupy themselves according to the life they have been given – but with a changed disposition and motivation.
There is sometimes a feeling among new converts that they must break away from their former life.1 Being saved, some think that they must leave everything that they were given to follow Christ. Someone may break away from family, divorce their spouse, and/or quit their job, living a completely different life.
On rare occasion, God may call us to make radical changes to our lives. Genesis 12:1 (KJV) says, “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:”
However, Paul notes that most Christians are called to remain according where God placed them, seeing what God has allotted them as a gift rather than a hindrance. What they are to leave is their old way of living (for the world), being transformed on the inside rather than on the outside.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul informed the Corinthians that they did not need to try to imitate the Jewish Israelite. And being slaves, they did not need to be concerned about demanding freedom. They were to be content with what God had assigned them in life.
Believer's Bible Commentary writes about these scriptures, “If a man was a Jew at the time of his conversion, and bore in his body the mark of circumcision, he need not take a violent revulsion at this and seek to obliterate all physical marks of his former way of life. Likewise, if a man were a heathen at the time of his new birth, he does not have to seek to hide his heathen background by taking on the marks of a Jew.
We might also interpret this verse to mean that if a Jew were converted, he should not be afraid to live on with his Jewish wife, or if a Gentile were converted he should not try to flee from that background. These external differences are not what really count.”2
Too often it is a temptation to see what we have been dealt in life as being less or more (better or worse) than someone else rather than a gift from God. We compare ourselves to others and rate and value what God has assigned to us. We hide or try to change what we don't like about our lives. Christianity can become an excuse, escaping or changing what we don't appreciate about our lives.
However, everything that we have been allotted in life has purpose, significance, value and meaning. It is a gift we have been given to be cherished and used for His kingdom purposes.
PS 139:15-16 says, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Being married, I should not think that it would be better to be single where I could give pursuing God my whole attention. Not that I contemplate this but I have heard it spoken by other Christians on occasion and my heart was deeply grieved.
God has blessed me with a wonderful husband to love (and who loves me). Part of pursuing God with my whole attention is loving my husband well. My husband is a gift to me, knows my weaknesses and loves me anyways. He has spoken God's wisdom into my life at times when I most needed it.
My son is also a wonderful gift. Having him in my life changed the way I looked at life. My whole perspective on life changed when he came into my world. It was because of him that I finished High School and went on to college. Every day I have him around, he brings such enjoyment to my life.
My career is also a gift. Being in Management and Finance, I should not now think that I need to do something more spiritual for a living. At times I start thinking that what I do for a living is not good enough. I think to myself... If I would be contributing and investing directly into other people's lives and making a difference. Other than developing my staff, how am I adding value to His kingdom or other people's lives?
However, the gifts God has given me and the path that I have been taken in life are related to financial, administrative, and management. I am skilled at it and enjoy making financial decisions and managing people. It would be wrong to ignore these gifts and try to instead do something else where I have no experience or giftings. Given that He thought out and planned for my path in life, it is a sin to not utilize what He has given me to fullest in glorifying Him.
My family is a gift from God. God chose my family for me and planned for me to be a part of it long before He even formed me. Coming from a background where there was abuse and lack, I struggled for some time with calling it a gift. However, God chose to place me in relationship with my family knowing the difficulties I would walk through.
My mother is gifted when it comes to writing stories and poetry. She is also wonderful with small children, serving others behind the scenes and has prayed for others faithfully for years. My father was a very hard worker. From farming as a young boy to digging ditches as a teen with his father, to performing maintenance work on large sanding equipment as an adult, my father never complained about having to work hard. When my father was home on the weekends, I rarely saw him sit around and waste time. He was always getting something done. I can now see where what they valued have influenced me for my benefit despite weaknesses.
Sometimes the most critical and difficult people in my life are the most needed. There are people in my extended family who I would rather avoid. However, each one of them is a gift in my life.
Psalm 37:2 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness. It is when I fully embrace my circumstances, my past, and the gifts that God has given me rather than trying to escape them or change them that I can live life to the fullest.
Lord, I long to live for you. Forgive me where I have not embraced what has been allotted to me but complained, ran from it or tried to hide it. Thank you for all that you have given me. You are the greatest Treasure of all. I long to live more fully for you.
1. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (1 Co 7:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (1 Co 7:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
According to the Vine's Complete Compository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, “assigned to him' in this case means what has been dealt to him in life; 'called' means to be invited into.
In this scripture verse, Paul is telling the Corinthians that now that they are saved and have been invited into the Kingdom, they are to occupy themselves according to the life they have been given – but with a changed disposition and motivation.
There is sometimes a feeling among new converts that they must break away from their former life.1 Being saved, some think that they must leave everything that they were given to follow Christ. Someone may break away from family, divorce their spouse, and/or quit their job, living a completely different life.
On rare occasion, God may call us to make radical changes to our lives. Genesis 12:1 (KJV) says, “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee:”
However, Paul notes that most Christians are called to remain according where God placed them, seeing what God has allotted them as a gift rather than a hindrance. What they are to leave is their old way of living (for the world), being transformed on the inside rather than on the outside.
In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul informed the Corinthians that they did not need to try to imitate the Jewish Israelite. And being slaves, they did not need to be concerned about demanding freedom. They were to be content with what God had assigned them in life.
Believer's Bible Commentary writes about these scriptures, “If a man was a Jew at the time of his conversion, and bore in his body the mark of circumcision, he need not take a violent revulsion at this and seek to obliterate all physical marks of his former way of life. Likewise, if a man were a heathen at the time of his new birth, he does not have to seek to hide his heathen background by taking on the marks of a Jew.
We might also interpret this verse to mean that if a Jew were converted, he should not be afraid to live on with his Jewish wife, or if a Gentile were converted he should not try to flee from that background. These external differences are not what really count.”2
Too often it is a temptation to see what we have been dealt in life as being less or more (better or worse) than someone else rather than a gift from God. We compare ourselves to others and rate and value what God has assigned to us. We hide or try to change what we don't like about our lives. Christianity can become an excuse, escaping or changing what we don't appreciate about our lives.
However, everything that we have been allotted in life has purpose, significance, value and meaning. It is a gift we have been given to be cherished and used for His kingdom purposes.
PS 139:15-16 says, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
Being married, I should not think that it would be better to be single where I could give pursuing God my whole attention. Not that I contemplate this but I have heard it spoken by other Christians on occasion and my heart was deeply grieved.
God has blessed me with a wonderful husband to love (and who loves me). Part of pursuing God with my whole attention is loving my husband well. My husband is a gift to me, knows my weaknesses and loves me anyways. He has spoken God's wisdom into my life at times when I most needed it.
My son is also a wonderful gift. Having him in my life changed the way I looked at life. My whole perspective on life changed when he came into my world. It was because of him that I finished High School and went on to college. Every day I have him around, he brings such enjoyment to my life.
My career is also a gift. Being in Management and Finance, I should not now think that I need to do something more spiritual for a living. At times I start thinking that what I do for a living is not good enough. I think to myself... If I would be contributing and investing directly into other people's lives and making a difference. Other than developing my staff, how am I adding value to His kingdom or other people's lives?
However, the gifts God has given me and the path that I have been taken in life are related to financial, administrative, and management. I am skilled at it and enjoy making financial decisions and managing people. It would be wrong to ignore these gifts and try to instead do something else where I have no experience or giftings. Given that He thought out and planned for my path in life, it is a sin to not utilize what He has given me to fullest in glorifying Him.
My family is a gift from God. God chose my family for me and planned for me to be a part of it long before He even formed me. Coming from a background where there was abuse and lack, I struggled for some time with calling it a gift. However, God chose to place me in relationship with my family knowing the difficulties I would walk through.
My mother is gifted when it comes to writing stories and poetry. She is also wonderful with small children, serving others behind the scenes and has prayed for others faithfully for years. My father was a very hard worker. From farming as a young boy to digging ditches as a teen with his father, to performing maintenance work on large sanding equipment as an adult, my father never complained about having to work hard. When my father was home on the weekends, I rarely saw him sit around and waste time. He was always getting something done. I can now see where what they valued have influenced me for my benefit despite weaknesses.
Sometimes the most critical and difficult people in my life are the most needed. There are people in my extended family who I would rather avoid. However, each one of them is a gift in my life.
Psalm 37:2 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on faithfulness. It is when I fully embrace my circumstances, my past, and the gifts that God has given me rather than trying to escape them or change them that I can live life to the fullest.
Lord, I long to live for you. Forgive me where I have not embraced what has been allotted to me but complained, ran from it or tried to hide it. Thank you for all that you have given me. You are the greatest Treasure of all. I long to live more fully for you.
1. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (1 Co 7:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
2. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (1 Co 7:18). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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