In my morning reading from Billy Graham’s daily devotionals something was brought to my attention.
I’ll start by saying, with any devotional there is a purpose and focus to what is being said and why the writer is saying it, there is a lesson to be learned, but the reader interprets it in a way that most reflects their current status and life experience.
The same piece of information or advice can take many forms depending on the mind that absorbs it.
My reading yesterday led me to a place I had never thought about in my daily life.
Billy graham spoke of jobs. That people everyday perform their duty and role in the world and most days we belittle that in saying “I’m just a baker” “I’m just a teacher” or “I’m just a writer”.
His point was, no one on this earth under God is “just” anything. We were all put here with purpose, for a reason to fulfill our role and duty day by day.
What that role happens to be does not make you better or worse than anyone else.
Jesus was “just a carpenter” so how could he be the son of God and the messiah?
Because he wasn’t “just” anything.
Yes he was a carpenter, but he was also good and pure and more important than anyone could have possibly understood at the time. But Yes he was a carpenter, he labored, He worked with his hands and took pride in his work.
As should we.
No matter what our role is or what work we do we should do it well. We should be proud of the role we have been given by God and fulfill that duty well.
We should still live good lives and treat others with love, mercy and live with grace in our hearts no matter what our role or purpose.
This brought my own faults to my attention.
I have never been one to belittle my work or my own role in life, whether it is my role as a student or an employee.
I have never said I am “just” anything because I try not to define myself by any one thing. I have never put down my accomplishments or work.
I have however been one to say another person is “just” something.
The words “they are just a waitress” have spewed from my lips. The sentence “they are just a sales clerk” has been hissed under my breath.
Who am I to say they aren’t doing what they are meant to. They were put in that role by God’s doing and perform that duty well.
I am no better than them in the role I have been placed.
People put themselves down enough in this life they don’t need others adding to that weight.
So for the first time I’ll say, I am just a Christian trying to learn from my own mistakes, learn from the example set by Jesus and his teachings and learn from those around me that fulfill their role in life, in order to make me a better person in mine.