Serve Where You Are

1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Contentment is a wonderful attitude to maintain. At the same time, lethargy is a curse. Lethargy means “I do not care, whatever happens, is okay.” We somehow have to get into balance the idea of aggressiveness and contentment. What we really need is to capture the thought, Be all you can be where you are. Few people, if any, live up to their potential. Psychologists tell us we use only a small percentage of our brain capacity. Our brains are a mystery in a measure. We know that how we think controls how we act. And what is even more awesome is we can control our thought patterns. We have the ability to turn off unwanted thoughts and pursue upbuilding thoughts. In this chapter, I hope to help you assess where you are and what to do about your situation so that you can SERVE WHERE YOU ARE. This means someone outside of you will likely be in control. But think about this carefully. Let’s focus in on I Corinthians 7:17-24: 17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called everyone, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called. 21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, [being] a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. To help you Serve Where You Are, I bring you several OBSERVATIONS to encourage you in your service. First, I observe that the calling comes by: DIVINE DISTRIBUTION 17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called everyone, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.2 The clause “God hath distributed to every man” tells me that basic ability is inherent in our personalities. We probably all have some native abilities we may have yet not discovered. I’ve seen that, especially in artists. Every basic ability can be developed. It can be made better. Today in Christian circles we often talk about how to discern our gift. Now it is true a person trying to serve in a position for which he is not gifted is a sorry misfit. We sometimes refer to such a situation as a square peg in a round hole. The object simply does not fit the situation! The apostle uses the illustration of circumcision to make his point. In the early church circumcision was a problem. Acts 15 details a church gathering to decide whether the Gentiles who were not circumcised would need to undergo circumcision to become Christians. The Jews had practiced this from the time of Abraham as a symbol of belonging to the community or covenant of God. So it was a very important point to consider. But the apostle says, “If you are called being circumcised,” do not try to be uncircumcised. If yo...