DISCOVERING DIVINE APPOINTMENT
Have you ever wondered about God’s calling in your life?
Right after I graduated from university, I waited two years until I was accepted into the graduate program for my teaching license. During those two years, I was filled with thoughts of fear. I felt hopeless and lost with what the future holds. In desperation, I turned to God and sought after His presence. Looking back at it now, I realize that those two grueling years were meant for me to build a greater reliance on Christ and a way for me to experience His Divine appointment in my life. Although it may seem like a big mystery, I believe we are all appointed to a specific task that God has for us to fulfill His great purpose through our lives. In John 20:11-18, Mary Magdalene had that sweet moment of encountering the Lord.
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Out of all the other disciples, Jesus chose to meet with Mary Magdalene first. She was considered someone lowly and marginalized during that time. It depicts a beautiful picture of our Savior, He loves to meet us in our needs. He loves to console and bring us hope when our lives seem devastating. Mary didn’t recognize Jesus at first due to her grief. Perhaps it was because she was not expecting to see the risen King. However, the moment Jesus spoke her name, she immediately recognized Him. In that same vein, Jesus is near to us, and He calls us by name. Can you, like Mary regard Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?
Church, our calling is an outpouring of our personal relationship with Jesus. Mary responded with joy and obedience by going to tell the disciples. I believe that God doesn’t just appoint us to one specific task, but that He equips us for every good work as mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:17. Over time, God has called me to different ways that I can serve the church. When I was younger, I was more inclined to minister in small groups for students. However, now I feel God’s calling me to serve as a mentor to new care group leaders. From what I have noticed, our Divine appointment often is revealed through the things that break our hearts. Something that has weighed greatly in my heart is the current trend of youths leaving churches, broken families, and the prevalent issue of depression among church communities.
Our church in Vancouver has committed to placing our focus on the young generation specifically in equipping leaders, training up the youth to be committed to following Christ, and to fulfill the great commission. It’s funny how sometimes God places us in uncomfortable situations for us to continue our spiritual growth. One of the reasons why I choose to teach elementary students in my day-to-day career instead of high school students is because I get intimidated by the current generation. However, God has reminded me that He equips the called, rather than the equipped. Something that I have been drawn to is to deepen my theology, so I was allowed by God to take online classes regarding counseling in church settings.
Church, I encourage you to spend time in His Word and presence today to seek after His will over your lives. I know that God seeks to partner with us, all it takes for us is to remain in Him and discern which needs that He wants us to attend to. I pray that as you enter another month you will step into ministry with a willing heart, a teachable spirit, and a cheerful attitude. Let us embrace each day as an opportunity for us to serve the Lord, through various facets of life. May we come with a humbled heart the way Mary Magdelene was, just as we are, to be used as His messengers for the world to see God’s love through us.
With love,
Jennifer Wijaya
(Global Women Coordinator)
