Blooming Where You're Planted
Do you know that sometimes what keeps people from being productive in life is not always the challenging circumstances that may be beyond their control? Often times it’s that people can be so consumed with wishing that their circumstances were different and looking for a way out of them, that they don’t consider how they might serve the cause of Christ right where they are. Let me be clear, there are times when doors of opportunities open for people to better their circumstances, like getting a new job or a promotion at work, or moving to a better neighborhood. And taking advantage of these would not necessarily be wrong. Although change can be scary for some people, venturing out into a new experience can be a great thing. There may also be times, like being in an abusive or sinful relationship, when we need to get out and move to a safe place.
Nonetheless, we will all find ourselves in difficult circumstances and relationships and the answer is not always to look for a better situation elsewhere. In fact, often times our unhappiness in life will not be remedied by a change of circumstances, but by a change of attitude. What people need today to flourish is not a change in scenery, but a change of heart that leads to a change of action. The main obstacles to flourishing in life is not always our difficult circumstances, but rather the lens by which we view our circumstances. In 1 Corinthians 7 we find three principles for flourishing in faith where we have been planted.
1. Recognize your present circumstance as a kingdom assignment from God.
Having made an appeal to stay committed to the covenant of marriage even in difficult circumstances, like when a Christian is married to a non-Christian, Paul writes: “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches” (1 Corinthians 7:17).
We don’t always get to choose our circumstances. Life chooses for us. However, in order to rise above our circumstances, we must recognize that God is sovereign over all of life. We are living during a time, especially in America, where people are seeking to find their primary identity and fulfillment in life in their careers, marital status or culture, which can include religion. When any of these fail to deliver the satisfaction they’re looking for, they seek change. But while they wait for a change or a new opportunity, their hearts can become increasingly cynical, pessimistic, and even envious of others who are where they wish they could be. When it comes to one’s vocation, our American culture tells us that the ideal situation is to have a career that you are passionate about and that brings you self-fulfillment. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with enjoying what you’re doing for a living, unless you’re a bank robber. The problem comes when we seek to find our primary identity or sense of significance in a career, even one that may be rewarding.
In this polarizing time that we are living in, many Pastors are leaving the ministry because no matter what they do or say someone is unhappy. The pressure of it all feels too overwhelming for many Pastors. What enables you to stay in a vocation when it gets hard—when your supervisor seems to have it in for you or when you feel undervalued and under paid? The ability as Christians to stick it out and give our best efforts depends upon where we are finding our ultimate security and sense of significance. When we find our primary identity in Christ by whom we were called to salvation and service, we can flourish where we are. When we recognize that our vocation, our singleness and our marriages are not just about us, but are divine assignments from God to fulfill, we can make an eternal impact for Christ, even in difficult situations. When we do our work for an audience of ONE and seek to please God more than man or even ourselves, we can experience a freedom that enables us to flourish even under adverse circumstances.
“Nathan Hatch, the president of Wake Forest University, noted that there are a disproportionate number of students who are majoring in finance, law and medicine. Hatch notes that this reality is reflective of a belief that vocational fields in finance, law and medicine will guarantee a high salary, reputation, prestige, and success. So, instead of asking, ‘Which jobs will help other people flourish?’ many are now asking, “Which jobs will help me flourish?’ This is reflective of our views of marriage as well. Marriages are no longer about ‘us’ but ‘me.’ We are constantly asking our partner, ‘What can you do for me in this relationship?’ No wonder there is so much dysfunction in marriages today. This self-centered orientation can be found in our approaches to both relationships and vocations” -Steven Um
The primary motivation for staying where we are, as a relates to vocation, marital status, and culture, is that we have an assignment from God to represent Christ where we are as we practice the commandments of God, namely the law of love. This is so counter cultural, especially in a society where the two great commandments people live by seem to be: “Just follow your heart,” and “Do whatever makes you happy.” When the prospects for a better life look more appealing elsewhere, what compels a Christian to stay where they are? Why would a retired Christian couple stay in Chicago rather than move to Florida where they could live out the rest of their days on earth fulfilling what many believe is the American dream? Why did Asuntha Charles, a World Vision director in Afghanistan, choose to stay in the country, amidst all the danger to continue helping women and girls? She remained in that culture where people desperately need to know the love of Jesus because she knows His love to the satisfaction of her soul. His love compels her to live out her Kingdom assignment from God to make His love known where God has planted her (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
2. Remain in your kingdom assignment until God opens another door.
Paul continues, “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity)” (1 Corinthians 7:20-21). When Paul exhorts believers to remain in the condition in which they are called, he is speaking of their circumstances when they first were saved. The conditions that Paul emphasizes in this chapter involved one’s marital status, culture, and vocation.
Although Paul was not condoning the inhumanity of slavery (v.21), he understood that even in unjust systems God’s people still had a responsibility to demonstrate the love of Christ so that sinners could come to faith in Jesus. In fact, it was the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond that abolished slavery in many parts of the world, including the transatlantic slave trade that we are more familiar with.
When in a difficult situation, committed believers, who find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ, don’t just think in terms of “how can I get out of this bad situation?” They ask, “how does God want me to serve His kingdom purpose in this difficult circumstance?” When it’s time to move on, God will open the door. But until then, compelled by the love of Christ, we keep on shining for Jesus where we are in the strength that He supplies in answer to prayer. Often, it’s adverse circumstances and how we respond to them in faith that leads to open doors of opportunities from God into our next kingdom assignment.
3. Rest in God’s presence to flourish for Christ where he has planted you.
After exhorting believers not to be concerned or anxious about their status as bondservants and therefore miss fulfilling God’s kingdom assignment, Paul continues: “For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:22-23). To encourage those who may have been anxious because of their social status as bondservants, Paul reminds them that those who were called or converted to Christ when they were bondservants are free in Christ. On the other hand, a person who was free when they came to Christ is a bondservant of Christ. In other words, what Paul is conveying to the believers in Corinth is that, whether they were free when they came to Christ or bondservants, their truest identity is no longer found in their social status.
The place where you find your primary identity is going to control, shape, and define your life. In light of this, our freedom as Americans is important and we should greatly value it, but as valuable as it is to us, societal freedom is not what should define who we are. Paul continues in verse 23, “You were bought with a price...” In other words, what should define us and shape our lives is that we belong to Christ, who redeemed us with His precious blood. So, no matter what our social status as Christians is today, we are free in Christ to serve His cause and represent His Kingdom on earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. And because Christians have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus and belong to Him, Paul exhorts the free Corinthians not to become bondservants of men no matter what social and economic advantages they might gain (v.23).
In the same way, we don’t have to be enslaved to a vocation because of the earthly advantages we may gain. Because we belong to Christ, we can forgo a promotion that requires us to work longer hours and instead stay where we are because we have a satisfaction and security in Christ that money can’t buy.
Since we are not our own, but have been bought with a price and belong to Christ, who we can trust to supply all our needs, Paul concludes, “So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God” (1 Corinthians 7:24). We can remain where we are because we are not alone. As we remain, we can trust that God will remain with us. It’s in Him that we find what are souls long for the most; fullness of joy in His presence.
“What matters in life and in eternal life is staying close to God and enjoying his presence. What matters is not whether our job is high or low in man's eyes. What matters is whether we are being encouraged and humbled by the presence of God.” -John Piper
O brothers and sisters, wherever we are in life, whatever our marital status or vocation, we can confidently remain where we are, even if it’s not easy, when we recognize that God in His sovereignty has a divine assignment for us to fulfill in our present circumstances. When we remain where He’s called us, we can rest in God’s promise to remain with us and empower us to flourish in Christ as we fulfill His kingdom assignment wherever we’ve been planted.
In your service,
Pastor Marco
Nonetheless, we will all find ourselves in difficult circumstances and relationships and the answer is not always to look for a better situation elsewhere. In fact, often times our unhappiness in life will not be remedied by a change of circumstances, but by a change of attitude. What people need today to flourish is not a change in scenery, but a change of heart that leads to a change of action. The main obstacles to flourishing in life is not always our difficult circumstances, but rather the lens by which we view our circumstances. In 1 Corinthians 7 we find three principles for flourishing in faith where we have been planted.
1. Recognize your present circumstance as a kingdom assignment from God.
Having made an appeal to stay committed to the covenant of marriage even in difficult circumstances, like when a Christian is married to a non-Christian, Paul writes: “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches” (1 Corinthians 7:17).
We don’t always get to choose our circumstances. Life chooses for us. However, in order to rise above our circumstances, we must recognize that God is sovereign over all of life. We are living during a time, especially in America, where people are seeking to find their primary identity and fulfillment in life in their careers, marital status or culture, which can include religion. When any of these fail to deliver the satisfaction they’re looking for, they seek change. But while they wait for a change or a new opportunity, their hearts can become increasingly cynical, pessimistic, and even envious of others who are where they wish they could be. When it comes to one’s vocation, our American culture tells us that the ideal situation is to have a career that you are passionate about and that brings you self-fulfillment. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with enjoying what you’re doing for a living, unless you’re a bank robber. The problem comes when we seek to find our primary identity or sense of significance in a career, even one that may be rewarding.
In this polarizing time that we are living in, many Pastors are leaving the ministry because no matter what they do or say someone is unhappy. The pressure of it all feels too overwhelming for many Pastors. What enables you to stay in a vocation when it gets hard—when your supervisor seems to have it in for you or when you feel undervalued and under paid? The ability as Christians to stick it out and give our best efforts depends upon where we are finding our ultimate security and sense of significance. When we find our primary identity in Christ by whom we were called to salvation and service, we can flourish where we are. When we recognize that our vocation, our singleness and our marriages are not just about us, but are divine assignments from God to fulfill, we can make an eternal impact for Christ, even in difficult situations. When we do our work for an audience of ONE and seek to please God more than man or even ourselves, we can experience a freedom that enables us to flourish even under adverse circumstances.
“Nathan Hatch, the president of Wake Forest University, noted that there are a disproportionate number of students who are majoring in finance, law and medicine. Hatch notes that this reality is reflective of a belief that vocational fields in finance, law and medicine will guarantee a high salary, reputation, prestige, and success. So, instead of asking, ‘Which jobs will help other people flourish?’ many are now asking, “Which jobs will help me flourish?’ This is reflective of our views of marriage as well. Marriages are no longer about ‘us’ but ‘me.’ We are constantly asking our partner, ‘What can you do for me in this relationship?’ No wonder there is so much dysfunction in marriages today. This self-centered orientation can be found in our approaches to both relationships and vocations” -Steven Um
The primary motivation for staying where we are, as a relates to vocation, marital status, and culture, is that we have an assignment from God to represent Christ where we are as we practice the commandments of God, namely the law of love. This is so counter cultural, especially in a society where the two great commandments people live by seem to be: “Just follow your heart,” and “Do whatever makes you happy.” When the prospects for a better life look more appealing elsewhere, what compels a Christian to stay where they are? Why would a retired Christian couple stay in Chicago rather than move to Florida where they could live out the rest of their days on earth fulfilling what many believe is the American dream? Why did Asuntha Charles, a World Vision director in Afghanistan, choose to stay in the country, amidst all the danger to continue helping women and girls? She remained in that culture where people desperately need to know the love of Jesus because she knows His love to the satisfaction of her soul. His love compels her to live out her Kingdom assignment from God to make His love known where God has planted her (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).
2. Remain in your kingdom assignment until God opens another door.
Paul continues, “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity)” (1 Corinthians 7:20-21). When Paul exhorts believers to remain in the condition in which they are called, he is speaking of their circumstances when they first were saved. The conditions that Paul emphasizes in this chapter involved one’s marital status, culture, and vocation.
Although Paul was not condoning the inhumanity of slavery (v.21), he understood that even in unjust systems God’s people still had a responsibility to demonstrate the love of Christ so that sinners could come to faith in Jesus. In fact, it was the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire and beyond that abolished slavery in many parts of the world, including the transatlantic slave trade that we are more familiar with.
When in a difficult situation, committed believers, who find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ, don’t just think in terms of “how can I get out of this bad situation?” They ask, “how does God want me to serve His kingdom purpose in this difficult circumstance?” When it’s time to move on, God will open the door. But until then, compelled by the love of Christ, we keep on shining for Jesus where we are in the strength that He supplies in answer to prayer. Often, it’s adverse circumstances and how we respond to them in faith that leads to open doors of opportunities from God into our next kingdom assignment.
3. Rest in God’s presence to flourish for Christ where he has planted you.
After exhorting believers not to be concerned or anxious about their status as bondservants and therefore miss fulfilling God’s kingdom assignment, Paul continues: “For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:22-23). To encourage those who may have been anxious because of their social status as bondservants, Paul reminds them that those who were called or converted to Christ when they were bondservants are free in Christ. On the other hand, a person who was free when they came to Christ is a bondservant of Christ. In other words, what Paul is conveying to the believers in Corinth is that, whether they were free when they came to Christ or bondservants, their truest identity is no longer found in their social status.
The place where you find your primary identity is going to control, shape, and define your life. In light of this, our freedom as Americans is important and we should greatly value it, but as valuable as it is to us, societal freedom is not what should define who we are. Paul continues in verse 23, “You were bought with a price...” In other words, what should define us and shape our lives is that we belong to Christ, who redeemed us with His precious blood. So, no matter what our social status as Christians is today, we are free in Christ to serve His cause and represent His Kingdom on earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. And because Christians have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus and belong to Him, Paul exhorts the free Corinthians not to become bondservants of men no matter what social and economic advantages they might gain (v.23).
In the same way, we don’t have to be enslaved to a vocation because of the earthly advantages we may gain. Because we belong to Christ, we can forgo a promotion that requires us to work longer hours and instead stay where we are because we have a satisfaction and security in Christ that money can’t buy.
Since we are not our own, but have been bought with a price and belong to Christ, who we can trust to supply all our needs, Paul concludes, “So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God” (1 Corinthians 7:24). We can remain where we are because we are not alone. As we remain, we can trust that God will remain with us. It’s in Him that we find what are souls long for the most; fullness of joy in His presence.
“What matters in life and in eternal life is staying close to God and enjoying his presence. What matters is not whether our job is high or low in man's eyes. What matters is whether we are being encouraged and humbled by the presence of God.” -John Piper
O brothers and sisters, wherever we are in life, whatever our marital status or vocation, we can confidently remain where we are, even if it’s not easy, when we recognize that God in His sovereignty has a divine assignment for us to fulfill in our present circumstances. When we remain where He’s called us, we can rest in God’s promise to remain with us and empower us to flourish in Christ as we fulfill His kingdom assignment wherever we’ve been planted.
In your service,
Pastor Marco