I’m going to step out on a limb and guess that doing dishes isn’t your favorite pastime. If most of us enjoyed this task, there wouldn’t be such booming business in the dishwasher and disposable plate manufacturing industries! The convenience of eating and tossing your plates and utensils in the trash, no cleanup required, makes it a very desirable alternative. But you know what? It costs you more to take that shortcut in the long run, doesn’t it?
Now on the other hand, there’s the super fancy stuff. Growing up, my grandmother always had an extensive collection of gorgeous china stashed away in a towering wood-framed, glass paneled cabinet. We used it twice a year: Christmas and Easter. When Anthony and I got married, my mom demanded that we add china to our registry because we just had to have it. We’ve been married almost four years and haven’t used it yet. Why? I guess I’m still waiting for a special enough occasion, an elaborate enough meal, and a pretty enough tablescape. Something that merits the unveiling of all these expensive dishes, you know?
2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NLT) says,
“In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”
Some days it feels like pursuing and living out your higher purpose is like cooking at home and eating off of your best china every night. It’s hard work. It gets messy. For sure, it’s a delicate situation to be handled with care. But it is oh so rewarding and enjoyable to share those moments with your loved ones when you sit down at the table to eat. The paper plate option works, too. You still get to eat, and even get to cut out some of the work on the clean-up end. The meal might be the same, but it just doesn’t have the same feel to it – the presentation isn’t as elegant and it just doesn’t feel as special, right? Maybe you even appreciate all that went in to making the meal a little less.
We have a choice to make: We can either be paper plates, or we can be fine china. Whether we choose to live for the special purpose God has reserved us for, or settle for safe, routine, easy and common determines what we become.
But here’s the thing. God doesn’t make paper plates! There is not one of us whom He created to just be average. Don’t downgrade yourself by becoming overly involved in things unrelated to or even beneath your created purpose. When we do that, we limit God’s ability to use us for the special plans He has for us!
When we purge our lives of the mundane, the unprofitable, the self-destructive — those things that ultimately waste our time, energy and resources — we add value to our own lives. Doing so helps us become better able to live and thrive in our purpose.
As the Psalmist wrote, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14, NKJV) Know your worth according to what God has planned for you. (Tweet that!) Know you were created to do something valuable, something that only you can do! Know He’s got it all planned out if you’ll trust Him enough to follow His lead.
If you choose to pursue that special purpose God created you for and created for you but don’t quite know where to start, my book, Purposed to Impact: Discover and Activate Your Higher Calling will give you just the new mindset, insight, and tools you need to get on the right track. In anticipation of the book launch on May 18th, I’m giving away a free download of one of my favorite chapters. Head over to the Purposed to Impact launch site to learn more about this transformational journey and download your free chapter today.
Annnd exciting news! Pre-sales for Purposed to Impact will open up on FRIDAY! There are some pretty sweet pre-sale bonuses that you will NOT want to miss. Keep an eye on your email for updates!
xo
Kendall