This summer, I had the opportunity to spend some time with my grandfather and his wife on their farm in the mountains of central Dominican Republic. The beautiful lush greenery and dirt roads are a stark contrast to the dense buildings and asphalt roads of my hometown in Massachusetts, USA. I wish I could say that I’m a country girl at heart, but I've got to tell you how glad I was when I finally hooked my phone up to wifi when I got back to the city.
I enjoyed spending time with my grandfather and watching him go about his day. He is currently raising goats to keep busy and spends his day getting them food (he feeds them grasses and shrubs). He is 81 years old and not able to be quite as active as he used to be—which is very frustrating for him—still, he does his fair share.
My grandfather’s wife Miriam is one of the most hardworking people I have met. She cooks and cleans and takes meticulous care of my grandfather. As you can imagine, being up in the mountains and in a developing country, many of the amenities we might enjoy are unavailable and most everything is done by hand. I tried to help Miriam where I could, but I always felt like I was getting in the way. I expressed this to my sister on the phone: “I offer help, but she tells me not to worry about it! What do I do?” My sister told me: “Netty, in the Dominican Republic if you have to ask it means you don’t want to do it. Just see what needs doing. Don’t ask, and do the work!”
This got me thinking.
When you are a child one of the questions you always get asked is, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" When you get a little older you get asked, "What will you major in college?" A little older still and the question becomes "Have you figured out your purpose?"
Sometimes we spend so much time wondering what we're supposed to do, what we should be working towards, and how to do something truly meaningful, that we end up getting nothing done. There’s a song that goes: “Everybody said that anybody could do the important thing somebody should do; everybody knows that anybody could do all the good things that nobody did.”
The gist is, there is work to be done—a lot of good work—but no one is doing it because we expect someone else to do it.
I am reminded of the verse found in the parable of Luke 16: “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:10) The context of this verse is very interesting. Jesus has been speaking about stewardship to the Pharisees, and to the disciples, having just told them the parable of the prodigal son in the previous chapter. He continues to tell a story of a steward accused of mismanaging his master’s riches. When the steward is called to give an account of his management, he goes to each of his master’s debtors and seeks their favor by reducing their debt: “How much oil do you owe the master? 100 measures? Here is your invoice, write down 50 instead.”
Why did he do this? The unfaithful steward mentions in Luke 16:3 that he was too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg, so by doing this favor for the debtors, they would give him what he wanted. The unfaithful steward was looking out for his own benefit rather than that of his master. He was not loyal to his task, and therefore was removed from his role. This kind of self-seeking spirit creeps up in our life today too, and it is detrimental to the work God wants us to engage in.
The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that “the work to which we are called does not require wealth or social position or great ability. It requires a kindly, self-sacrificing spirit and a steadfast purpose. A lamp, however small, if kept steadily burning, may be the means of lighting many other lamps. Our sphere of influence may seem narrow, our ability small, our opportunities few, our acquirements limited; yet wonderful possibilities are ours through a faithful use of the opportunities of our own homes. If we will open our hearts and homes to the divine principles of life, we shall become channels for currents of life-giving power. From our homes will flow streams of healing, bringing life, and beauty, and fruitfulness where now are barrenness and dearth.” The Adventist Home, p. 33.
We come up with numerous justifications like, "there’s no time," "it’s beneath me," "it’s too hard," etc. There are plenty of excuses to choose from. Some of the obvious ones are: “It’s too difficult!” “I don’t want to!” “I don’t have time!” Some of the less obvious ones include: “I don’t know how or what to do!” “There is no one to help! I can't do it alone.” “I’m so discouraged!” “I have no means!” “I’ve already done my part!” “I can do so much more or an even greater work!”
There is work to be done, but it’s hard to do it when you’re thinking only about yourself. God has made us stewards and as we show faithfulness in our work—as little as it may seem—He increases our stewardship. God also reveals His purpose for our lives when we start using our talents for His service. “No one is qualified for great and important work, unless he has been faithful in the performance of little duties. It is by degrees that the character is formed, and that the soul is trained to put forth effort and energy proportionate to the task which is to be accomplished.” Child Guidance, p. 37.
How do you identify the work you are meant to do? Start at home, at your local church, and in your community. Help your family. Is there a community outreach ministry? No? Start one. Does the children’s class need a teacher? Put together lesson plans and teach. Do you have a music group in your church? No? Get it going. Offer to pray for someone. Talk to people who go to your church. What are some of the things they need help with? Visit people who are sick. Offer assistance to someone on the street. Volunteer with local organizations. There is plenty to do.
“The talents, however few, are to be put to use. The question that most concerns us is not, How much have I received? but, What am I doing with that which I have? The development of all our powers is the first duty we owe to God and to our fellow men. No one who is not growing daily in capability and usefulness is fulfilling the purpose of life. In making a profession of faith in Christ we pledge ourselves to become all that it is possible for us to be as workers for the Master, and we should cultivate every faculty to the highest degree of perfection, that we may do the greatest amount of good of which we are capable.” Christ's Object Lessons, p. 329.
The work is not about you. Even good deeds can be done for selfish reasons, and yet we reap incredible benefits when we perform it. “The Lord has a great work to be done, and He will bequeath the most in the future life to those who do the most faithful, willing service in the present life. The Lord chooses His own agents, and each day under different circumstances He gives them a trial in His plan of operation. In each true-hearted endeavor to work out His plan, He chooses His agents not because they are perfect but because, through a connection with Him, they may gain perfection.” Ibid., p. 330.
So do you have to be asked or will you start? God has great things in store for those who get going. “God will accept only those who are determined to aim high. He places every human agent under obligation to do his best. Moral perfection is required of all. Never should we lower the standard of righteousness in order to accommodate inherited or cultivated tendencies to wrong-doing. We need to understand that imperfection of character is sin. All righteous attributes of character dwell in God as a perfect, harmonious whole, and everyone who receives Christ as a personal Saviour is privileged to possess these attributes." Ibid.