What Would the World Do Without You
Here is a truth that should shape your life: this world cannot be all that it was made to be without you.
Each of us was made to play an essential role in our world – being who you were made to be and doing what you were made to do.
Every one of us is indispensable. What would this world do without you?
I know some will respond by saying we are only one out of 125 billion people who have lived on this planet and that when we die the world will go on fine without us, that no one is truly indispensable. I just choose to differ. There is ample evidence in Scripture that God placed each of us here – at this time and place – to play a necessary role in His life and His unfolding purposes in this world.
There is every reason to believe that God sees you as indispensable:
God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." (Jeremiah 1:4 – 5 NIV)
The psalmist wrote that before He was born “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God!” (Psalm 139:13 – 14 TNIV)
God thought about us – and had a plan for us – even before we were born. This should be precious to us. It matters to me that God foreordained a unique role for me in His life and His world.
Some time ago, I read George W. Bush's autobiographical book Decision Points and was moved by his account of how the lives of his parents were forever shaped by the death of his sister Robin. She died from cancer in 1953, when she was just three years old. I was struck by the thought that his parents had risen from that tragic loss to achieve the heights of success in this world. George H. W. Bush was elected the 41st President of the United States and his son George W. Bush was elected the 43rd President of the United States. Another son was elected the Governor of Florida and their two other children have lived full and successful lives as well. But, as George W. Bush writes in this memoir, his parents still had a hole in their hearts because they lost Robin. Even though she had died almost 60 years earlier. And though they lived wonderful lives they never got over the loss of their little girl. Robin was simply irreplaceable.
I want to remind you of something that should be obvious to each of us but often is not; you have a place in the heart of God that can only be filled with you. I don't know how He keeps track of all His children but He does. As Jesus taught us, “are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God… Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Luke 12:6 – 18 NIV)
I like how St. Bernards said that a very important stage in spiritual maturity is when we learn to love ourselves for God's sake. (Naked Spirituality, Brian McLaren, page 111)
We each must know how uniquely valuable we are to God. In His mind, we are each indispensable.
If you have an indispensable role to play in God's life and in His world then you have to show up to life and play the role only you can play. You were made to be indispensable… but now you must live out your indispensability.
Are you living like a person the world cannot do without?
“You were made to be indispensable… but now you must live out your indispensability.
Are you living like a person the world cannot do without?”
Look, I know that the world can make it without you. But it shouldn't have to. It's like this… if you are a father you have an indispensable role to play in the lives of your children. No one can be the father you were made to be. Someone else could raise your children… but not like you.
You were made for this.
Your kids were made to need you.
So every father needs to get up every day and feel a sense of responsibility and a sense of destiny and a sense of awe and say, “I am going to bring it today as a dad. I am going to care for my children and lead my children to live the life God dreams for them. No one else can do this like I can. I am going to live this day as if I am the only one who can do what I was made to do. I am indispensable to my family and I am going to live out my indispensability.”
This is how I approach my role as lead pastor of The Life Christian Church. The day will come when I am no longer in that position. I hope that day is a long way off, but when it comes I know that TLCC will not only get along without me but hopefully, someone will play the role of lead pastor much better than I ever have. Yet even though I know this, I believe with all my heart that I need to see myself as playing an essential role now and to get up every day and pray and work and lead like what I do is indispensable to the success of this church.
Because it is.
Scripture teaches us that every believer has been placed in the body of Christ and that each of us has been designed and gifted to play a specific role. Even those of us who have roles “that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” (1 Corinthians 12:22 NIV) So pastors and pray–ers and singers and greeters and custodians and teachers and youth leaders and children's ministry volunteers are each indispensable to what God wants to do through His church in this world.
What would happen if each of us saw our lives through the lens of indispensability?
What if you brought this mentality to your job and in your relationships and every single opportunity to make a positive difference in this world? I join with the Apostle Paul in this passionate admonition, “I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own.” (Ephesians 4: 1 CEV)
What would the world do without you? You are indispensable.
As I lead, I intend to constantly remind the people to accept the responsibility of indispensability and to challenge myself to live my life playing the unique role that I was made to play.