Master of Nothing, In Charge of Everything
It seems nowadays that everybody has a gig. It’s the latest fad for expressing your one-of-a-kind creativity, making an extra buck, or freeing yourself from the drudgery of the nine-to-five workday. We want to live on purpose, for a purpose. We cheer each other on, “do your thing!” But what if you don’t have a thing?
I have questioned, “what’s my thing,” and realized, I don’t have one, I have what feels like twenty of them. I am the classic jack of all trades, master of none. My grown kids still think their dad and I have all the answers, or at least they still have a lot of questions. I feel like I am in charge of a lot of things, yet not one of them really belongs to me.
What’s a girl without a gig to do? If she’s not careful, she will chase after dreams that aren’t her own and question her worth. Our “fearfully and wonderfully made” self is suddenly fearful and faking it. We work to meet the demands of the people standing in line for our attention instead of being attentive to God’s call.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14
God made each of us who we are. Different. There is only one of you. The psalmist gets it. He can praise God because he understands the adoration God has for him. God has that same love and respect for you.
As long as we are unsettled about our assignment, we will be unclear about our purpose. And if you are the jack of all trades, master of none, your assignment is no less important. In fact, it may be the very thing God intended for you as part of his marvelous story.
As long as we are unsettled about our assignment, we will be unclear about our purpose. Share on XLet’s take a look at Abraham’s servant in Genesis 24. He is believed to be called Eliezer. His name means “my God is help.” We quickly learn that he is probably the jack of all trades because he oversees all that Abraham has. Abraham is his master; he is Abraham’s senior servant (Genesis 24:2). Eliezer could easily look at his life and hold a grudge as he thinks to himself, “I am master of nothing – in charge of everything.” But he doesn’t.
Your journey is more important than you think.
Before the chapter ends, Eliezer sets off on a journey to find Abraham’s son, Isaac, a wife. Not just a wife – the wife. The wife that God planned long ago to fulfill his promise to redeem his chosen people. So, while Eliezer may be master of nothing, he is perhaps one of the most important characters in God’s story of love and redemption. His servant heart is more important than his seemingly insignificant status.
There is so much to learn from Eliezer’s journey. When we begin to wonder why we have to be in charge of so much, for so many, with little or perhaps no recognition, we can turn here and find truth. The truth is that God needs people like me and you to answer his call so that he can further his Kingdom. While “things” may not belong to you, your one-of-a-king gig, does.
Commit to your calling, whatever it may be.
Often, we get trapped in comparing our work with the work of others. Eliezer was certain of his calling and by whom he was called. He submitted to God the work before him and did not question his value. He did however ask questions (Genesis 24:5). To better understand how he was supposed to do his job, he asked for clarity and instruction from Abraham. Eliezer humbled himself before his master, and committed to serve (Genesis 24:9.)
Courageously go where God leads you.
Eliezer didn’t stand around questioning God’s call, he prepared what was needed, and he went on his way with “good things,” from his master (Genesis 24:10.) So many times, we set out for the journey God has called us on and we forget to take the good things, or worse, we carry a heavy load that was never meant for us. We end up burdened and broken on our journey because we can’t let go of the bad things in exchange for the good. Bad things like comparison, worry, anxiety and self-confidence instead of God-confidence.
God promises to be with you wherever you go, and that my friend is a good thing. His Word and his Spirit are with you to guide you, to give your direction and to strengthen you. Take Him with you, wherever you go.
Call on God for help.
Eliezer relied on God’s help for his success (Genesis 24:12.) Though he was master of nothing, we can assume the senior servant had some pretty good qualifications to be in charge of everything. Yet he still turned to God for triumph. Eliezer knew what many of us neglect to acknowledge – without God, we are limited by our own abilities and circumstance.
Eliezer prayed and before he even finished, God answered (Genesis 24:15.) How awesome is the God we serve! He knew the task before him was impossible unless God was at work. Not just in him, but in the details of the job before him. Remember, if all things are possible with God, nothing is possible without him. At least nothing that really matters. Eliezer credits God for his success. He reveals in his praise to the Lord that the Master of his heart is God (Genesis 24:48.)
Keep going and stay on task.
As the story unfolds, we learn that Eliezer is focused on one thing – getting the job done and serving his master well. He has the opportunity to take a break from his assignment and indulge in himself (Genesis 24:33.) Surely, he deserves a little me time, right? But we find that instead of being served, he remembers who he is – his master’s servant. We should care of our well-being while we are serving others, but we can’t forget that our work is important and we need to take it seriously – even if we are master of nothing, in charge of everything.
Eliezer was faithful in his calling to find Abraham’s son a wife, and it mattered. Jesus, the Savior of the World, was a descendent of Abraham through his son Isaac and his Isaac’s wife Rebekah. What we do matters, and so does how we do it. No matter how insignificant our work may seem, if we are following God’s call and committing our work to him, we will succeed.
If you know Christ as your Lord and Savior, you understand the importance of making him your Master. If you are on the fence on whether this whole master thing makes sense… I mean why would you willingly submit to doing what someone else wants of you instead of what you want for yourself? It’s a good question and I can only answer with this – My life would look dramatically different if I did not surrender my plans to the One who loves me enough to die for me. He really does want what is best for me (and you.)
Don’t misunderstand, I’ve had to trust that over and over again. You see, I battle my own wants, desires and comparison traps. But he’s more than my Master, he is my Father. That makes me his adopted child, and because of his perfect love, he wants what is best for me. He is always teaching me, directing me and providing for my needs in ways I could never think possible. Just like a good Father does.