Picture sitting in church as the pastor reads from the Word, and he calls you out specifically. Few things will make you stand up straighter than hearing your name spoken publicly.
“And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” ~Colossians 4:17
Paul has been saying his final goodbyes in his letter to the church at Colossae, telling them various members of the faith community send their greetings. He also instructs them to pass the letter along to the church at Laodicea after they are finished reading it.
Then he addresses Archippus by name. I would imagine every head in the assembly turned to him. What had God called him to? Why was it so important that two thousand years later, we are still wondering about it? Perhaps Paul omitted it on purpose. Archippus knew.
The truth is, every believer has been entrusted with something. Some of us are called to teach, some to serve quietly behind the scenes, some to encourage, lead, give, create, raise children, or write stories that live in our heads just begging for a place on paper. Our callings are as varied as our personalities, but we all have them, even if we have yet to discover the specific thing God has called us to.
And if we’re honest, it is easy to grow weary in what God has asked us to do. It is not always rewarding, and often, it can be downright discouraging. We may feel ill-equipped, unqualified, or just plain scared. Sometimes we wonder if what we are doing even matters.
Yet Paul’s words are simple and direct: “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”
What has God called you to that you have not yet carried out? Are you so overwhelmed you cannot even see the next right thing to do?
What if we laid our worries at the feet of Jesus and set about the specific task He’s given to each of us with urgency and commitment? Because the one thing He has not given us is all the time in the world to carry it out. Be on mission today, and be about the ministry the Lord has given you.