Election officials sort voting papers for ballot counting after a by-election at a polling station , in Mbizo township, Kwekwe, on March 26, 2022. – Zimbabweans cast ballots on March 26, 2022 in parliamentary and local authority by-elections seen as a yardstick of what is to come in next year’s general polls. The polls, which closed at 7:00 pm, have generated so much interest that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has led various campaign rallies to shore up support for ruling ZANU-PF candidates. (Photo by Zinyange Auntony / AFP) (Photo by ZINYANGE AUNTONY/AFP via Getty Images)
By Tatenda Hwari
God does not call everyone to the same assignment, vision or expression of ministry. Although every person has equal value before God, we are not all called to fulfil the same purpose in the same way.
There is a grace attached to every God-given assignment.
The Apostle Paul understood this principle when he declared: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Paul recognised that what he had become and what he was able to accomplish was not simply the product of human ability. The grace of God was at work in his life.
This principle is important because people often measure their progress against the achievements of others. Two people can begin the same journey at approximately the same time, work in the same environment and possess similar qualifications, yet experience different levels of fruitfulness.
This does not necessarily mean that one person is more valuable than the other. It may simply mean that they have different assignments and different measures of grace operating in their lives.
The Danger of Comparison
Comparison can become destructive when we fail to understand our own assignment.
Scripture warns: “But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12).
When we constantly compare ourselves with others, we can become frustrated with our own journey. We may begin to despise what God has given us because someone else’s gift appears more visible.
But your assignment does not need to look like somebody else’s assignment.
David was chosen to become king, although he was not the oldest among Jesse’s sons. Joseph was destined for leadership, but his journey included betrayal, slavery and imprisonment. Moses was called to deliver Israel, despite his own insecurities and struggles with speech.
Their journeys were different because their assignments were different.
The lesson is simple: do not abandon your assignment because somebody else’s journey looks easier or more successful.
Grace Is Not a Licence for Complacency
Understanding grace does not mean that we should become passive.
Grace does not eliminate responsibility. Paul said that God’s grace toward him was not in vain. Divine enablement must be accompanied by faithfulness, discipline, preparation and obedience.
God may give you the grace to teach, but you must study.
He may give you the grace to lead, but you must develop character.
He may give you the grace to build a business, but you must work diligently.
He may give you the grace to communicate, but you must develop your communication skills.
Grace gives divine enablement; responsibility determines how faithfully we steward what we have received.
Stay in Your Grace-Lane
We live in a generation where people can easily compare their lives with others through social media. We see another person’s success without seeing the years of preparation, sacrifice, failure and obedience behind it.
This can create unnecessary competition and jealousy.
But you were never called to become another person.
You were called to become the person God created you to be.
There are people who are uniquely gifted in teaching, leadership, business, innovation, administration, evangelism, music and other areas of service. Within the Body of Christ, different people carry different expressions of God’s grace.
We can appreciate another person’s grace without becoming jealous of it.
For example, Apostle Joshua Selman has demonstrated an exceptional teaching ministry, while Dr Myles Munroe, of blessed memory, became widely recognised for communicating principles of leadership, purpose and the Kingdom of God.
Their expressions were different. Their assignments were different. Their impact was different.
The answer is not to imitate them but to learn from them while remaining faithful to your own assignment.
Discover What God Has Placed in You
One of the greatest tragedies is to spend your life trying to become someone else while neglecting what God has placed inside you.
You need to discover your gifts, develop your abilities and understand the assignment God has entrusted to you.
You may not have somebody else’s platform, resources or opportunities. That does not mean that your calling is insignificant.
Some assignments are public; others are carried out quietly.
Some people influence thousands from a platform. Others transform one family, one classroom, one workplace or one community.
The value of an assignment is not always determined by its visibility.
Therefore, stop measuring your worth by someone else’s results.
Work diligently.
Prepare yourself.
Remain faithful.
Pray.
Learn.
Grow.
And trust God’s grace.
Grace Produces Contentment
When you understand the election of grace, jealousy begins to lose its power.
You no longer need to compete with everyone around you because you understand that your journey is uniquely yours.
You can celebrate another person’s success without feeling threatened by it.
You can honour another person’s gift without diminishing your own.
You can recognise another person’s platform without believing that your assignment has been forgotten.
The Apostle Paul teaches that there are different gifts and different functions within the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12).
We need one another.
The hand should not compete with the eye. The eye should not despise the hand. Each part has its own function.
The same is true in life and ministry.
Grace for the Assignment
There is a grace for what God has called you to do.
That grace may not remove every difficulty, but it will enable you to endure the process and remain faithful to the assignment.
Some things cannot be achieved by human strength alone. We need God’s grace.
Therefore, do not spend your life trying to live somebody else’s story.
Discover your assignment.
Develop your gifts.
Honour the grace upon others.
Reject jealousy and unnecessary competition.
And most importantly, depend upon God.
You do not need another person’s grace to fulfil your assignment. You need to faithfully steward the grace God has given you.
When you understand this, comparison gives way to contentment, competition gives way to cooperation, and insecurity gives way to purpose.
The question is no longer, “Why am I not like them?”
The better question is:
“Lord, what have You called me to do, and how can I faithfully fulfil it by Your grace?”
That is where purpose begins.
Tatenda Hwari
Christian Teacher | Writer | Columnist