Your Assignment - The One Year Salt and Light Devotional

John 17:1-5

I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. (John 17:4)

JESUS WAS CONFIDENT HE HAD completed everything the Father had given him to do. He had taught amazing truths. He had healed and delivered many from sickness and oppression. He had declared who he was and gathered followers who believed him. He had cultivated a select few into a traveling school of discipleship. Now, in his priestly prayer, he was submitting himself to a sacrificial death in order to reverse an age-old curse and bring a new kind of life into this world.

But there were still truths to be taught; Jesus had just informed his disciples of that a few verses earlier (John 16:12-15). There were still sick and oppressed people throughout the region; the early chapters of Acts give us quite a few examples of apostles ministering to ongoing needs. There was still a message to tell, not only in the places where Jesus ministered most often, but also to the ends of the earth (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). There were still people to be convinced, disciples to be trained, and entire populations in need of new life. Jesus did a lot, but he didn’t do everything.

That’s implied in Jesus’ prayer. He did everything the Father had given him to do, which means he had not done what the Father had not given him to do. And if Jesus had a specific assignment that was limited in scope—not in its global implications, but within the framework of his earthly life span—you can assume your assignment is limited in scope too. You don’t have to carry responsibility for everything, to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, to jump into action every time you see a need. Instead, you need to listen to the Father’s voice and follow it. He will lead you into situations that bring your gifts and character into the right context to maximize your fruitfulness. He will align you with his purposes. You are free to follow them—without guilt for not having done enough, and with confidence you have done what your Father has given you to do.

{Father, I want to fulfill my assignment. Streamline my life to maximize my effectiveness. Align my gifts with specific situations and needs. Give me a strong sense of direction and freedom within it. Make me fruitful. Amen.