Be a finisher

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. (Acts 20:24 NLT)

The work assigned - what is the work God has assigned to you on this earth? Now, don't go saying that you have no clue. If you have this misguided idea that only 'some' are 'called' to be used by God on this earth, you need to change your way of thinking. God has given you specific talents or abilities - use them! It doesn't have to be pulpit ministry - it could be driving a nail with a hammer. You say that is your profession, but you don't see it as a ministry - a calling in your life. Like it or not, even your 'profession' is a 'calling'! God can use you in whatever capacity he has enabled you to be used - you just need to realize it isn't the 'pulpit' that matters.

Finish the work - don't be half-cocked or half-baked in your commitment to do what God assigned for you to do. Whatever it is, be about the work with enthusiasm and determination. I was called into nursing as a career, but the lives that crossed my path in that 'profession' were innumerable. I prayed at the bedside of the dying, held the hands of the frightened, and soothed the wounds of the hurting. Did I always have an opportunity to share the gospel message with them? No, but I could live it! I could show his compassion, share his love, and extend his grace wherever possible. Finish the work you are called to do - with gusto.

Our lives are worth more in his hands than they will ever be worth in ours alone. We don't need to develop some great talent in order to be used by him. We don't have to be the most charismatic. We just need to be available to him. Then we need to be obedient to what he shows us needs to be done. Even in so called 'retirement' you can keep on keeping on. The 'work' may change, but the heart behind it doesn't need to. We can keep on sharing ourselves, being available for whatever he reveals needs to be done. It could be we just need to ask him to show us what that is, then do it. 

The moment we determine to be used by God as he has created us to be used is one that is both scary and exciting at the same time. Scary because we don't always know where it will lead us. Exciting because as we begin to explore what he has in store for us as he uses us will evoke more than a little bit of emotion from us. The most important aspect of being used by God is being open to what he tells us to do. We might feel a prompt to do something, go a particular place, reach out to an individual, start doing something in our community. Regardless of what it is, do it! You won't finish the work until you start it! Just sayin!