In every organization there is always delegation of powers where individuals are given specific roles to play to help in the smooth running of the same. By giving specific task and setting targets enhances growth and development which goes a long way to help achieve the set goals of the organization or firm. Therefore, every individual is given duties that he/she can execute by virtue of the training the person has been given or the know-how of the person.
John the Baptist was called to perform a specific role and that was to be the voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord. He was to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah and he did this by admonishing the people to repent from their sins, because the kingdom of God was at hand, and those who repented were baptised in the river Jordan.
John was the forerunner of the Messiah and the one to introduce Him to the people. John’s words were clear:
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.”
John 1:29b-31
We are all the servants of God and because we are servants of God, He has given all of us a duty or a role to play in the assembly and we must execute this role without fail. God will use us to display his splendour and we must make ourselves available for this role. He is the one who formed us in the womb and knows us better than we know ourselves. God knows our capabilities and our incapabilities and He will never give us loads we cannot carry. One of the key roles is to bring the lost to Christ and be a light to the people who dwell in darkness.
“I will make you as a light for the nations,
Isaiah 49:6b
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Beloved in Christ, the salvation of the lord must reach the ends of the world and we have a role to play to make that happen. John had a huge task and he executed it in a grand style and so we are all encouraged, we can make it happen as long us Christ is our helper.
We all cannot play the same role in the assembly, and it is important to note that no role is inferior to the other, every role is key in making the kingdom goal a success. Therefore, everything we do must be done with all our hearts without counting the cost because we are doing it for God.
Paul was called by God to be an apostle and so writes to the assembly in Corinth that they have been called by God to be His Holy people. So, every Christian is called to live a Holy life so that it can encourage others to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal saviour.
Jesus is the lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world and because John proclaimed this, we must do our best to share this to the world. John accepted his duty to God and acknowledged that it was the reason why he had come, baptizing with water in order to reveal who Jesus was to the people of Israel.
Let us not shy away from our faith, let us be bold to proclaim it to the world regardless of where we find ourselves. This is our duty as Christians, let us be bold and move out with power to do our part by proclaiming who Jesus is to the world. AMEN
Fr. Josiah Myles Abadoo