March, 2026 – Fill in Your Name
I, ____________, have been sent on ‘special assignment’ by Christ as part of God’s master plan. – Colossians 1.1 When I grew up, I remember of pastors, parents, others asking if one was in God’s ‘will’ for their life. Were they in His perfect will? Had they even found out what God’s will was for them. I understand all that! But I find that I am loving the way ‘The Message’ words the phrase. For example –
Besides the verse in Colossians 1.1, I Corinthians 1.1 in the NASB puts it – as the apostle Paul referring to himself as ‘called by the will of God’ – while the MSG words it as ‘sent on a special mission’. In the beginning of Galatians 1 (MSG), Paul refers to himself as being ‘God-commissioned’. I love it! In Ephesians 1 MSG, he calls himself a ‘special agent of Christ Jesus’. And in I Timothy 1 and 2 (MSG), ‘on special assignment for Christ’. Likewise the Message in I Peter 1.1 translates Peter’s calling as ‘on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah’.
I love ‘being in the will of God’ – and for those of you who are there, you know exactly what that means. But, somehow, I so relate to the phrases that the Message uses. Yes, I am in the will of God being in ministry in Romania – for the past twenty-five years. And, yes, I was in the will of God teaching in the city of Providence for ten-plus years. There was/is no doubt about it. And, I have been SO definitely sent ‘on assignment(s)’ since the day I committed my life to Christ in the early Spring of 1974. Not only with the ‘big’ things (assignments) in my life, but being day-to-day obedient in what might seem to be ‘smaller assignments’.
Sadly, I have met Christian after Christian who define their walk with Christ as going to church (warming a pew) on Sunday mornings. Scripture clearly tells us to ‘not forsake the assembling of ourselves together’ – Hebrews 10.25, but if that is where our service to, or love for Christ begins and ends, we’re not ‘getting it’! He has an ‘assignment’ for each of us. I’ve heard several times, “I wouldn’t know what to do. What could there possibly be for me to do?” James 1.5 says ‘if you lack wisdom, ask God’. All He is looking for is a willing heart. It’s not just that we should have a closer relationship with Christ, it’s that He so desires a closer relationship with us. He loves us!! – tells us in Psalm 18.19 MSG that He is ‘crazy about us’!!
I couldn’t say it more clearly – there is nothing so fulfilling as being ‘in the will of God’ – being called to a ‘special assignment’ by Him. He cares so much about me that He gave me a ‘tailor-made’ assignment. He can do that for you . . . ! Take just a minute and look back at the first paragraph of this article. What is your special assignment (for the Kingdom)? Do you have one? Would you want one? Our Creator, Savior, Sustainer has something for which He purposefully created us. Please don’t doubt that.
‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (for an assignment) He prepared for us to perform before we were even born.’ (from Ephesians 2.10) Don’t miss out on it. It will only bring you JOY!!