Your Part In God's Plan

Beloved,

As I type out these letters into prayerfully Spirit-filled words, my hope is that as you always receive them, you will read them and see what God is trying to say to you through me. We are living in the most interesting of times, unique but similar. Similar because the Holy Scripture tells us that there will be wars and rumors of wars. We are constantly in some form of battle.

Individually, if we are completely honest with ourselves, there is some battle raging in our physical life, in our temples of God that we call bodies. There is some battle in our thought life, in our mental faculties that we call minds. There is some battle in our emotional life, in our places where we order or disorder our feelings. And, there is some battle in our spiritual life, in the places where we wrestle with God, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad.

Also, in our dealing in this world, we are also in some battle in our health, in our wealth and in our relationships. Or, maybe it is just me, although I doubt that is true.

Sometimes, in these battles that we can collectively name such as COVID-19, and I do pray that you are keeping yourself safe and healthy in this ongoing pandemic, or the protests catalyzed by the slaying of George Floyd, ripping off a band-aid on a societal and historical pandemic called systemic racism, we can sometimes wonder if our part is spectator, keeping watch over and simply commenting on what is happening to others, or participant, finding a role that we can uniquely play in helping to bring about change reflective of the ever-present glory of God.

I believe that God, God who has given us life and life everlasting with covering, keeping, provision, and protection in between, has a part for all of us in His great, grand, majestic plan.

Taking the protests as an example, some can march the streets. That may be your part. Some can speak at rallies. That may be your part. Some can drive people to and from rallies. That may be your part. Some can give money to support the causes that might diffuse the tensions necessitating the rallies. That may be your part. Some may have the occasion to have the critically needed closed door conversations where honest truth can be spoken by both sides of the racial, political, social, and economic divide. That may be your part. And, some may stay right at home and pray over all to the God who we know has the whole world in His hands. That may be your part.

You see, God has given everybody something to offer. Everybody has a part in God's plan.

The Apostle Paul put it this way in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, "Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good."

You are a part of God's plan for the good of all.

If this is true, then our responsibility is to do, not just what God has called us to do, but to do what God created us to do.

Do not miss your opportunity in life to be all that you are supposed to be in God's plan.

You were created on purpose for a purpose. Do not miss your moment in life.

Pray to God. Humble yourself before Him. Do not go with the crowd unless God reveals that is the way for you to go. Do not go with the flow if God is telling you to swim upstream. Do not do what you see others doing if God has given you a different vision and plan for your life.

You see, we, the Body of Christ, Zion Memorial, your family, your community, the whole world, will be incomplete if you do not fulfill your part in God's plan. It is uniquely for your from God and by you from God to ultimately give God praise, honor, and glory.

I am excited about seeing how God's giftedness is manifested in your life as you shine forth with what He has given you to do.

I encourage you to stay connected with the church family. We will have Noonday prayer today. Please check your connection document and pray with us. Your prayers given, as gifts of spoken words of praise or petition to God with us, may be someone else's gift received as your words speak to and into their life situation right now. Do not miss the opportunity to share your gift. If you have forgotten or misplaced the connection sheet, let me know and I will email it to you again.

I look forward to connecting with you at noon.

And, remember, God loves you and I love you too!

Be blessed,

Rev. Cain