Maybe I Should Change My Name to John...

It's that time again - the time when I share the random thought I've been chewing on for the past little bit.

I was reading Luke..the awesome story of our Savior's birth. This time, I was struck by the story of John. 

Luke 1:76-77

New Living Translation (NLT)

“And you, my little son,

    will be called the prophet of the Most High,

    because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 

You will tell his people how to find salvation

    through forgiveness of their sins.

The thing that stood out to me was John's clearly defined purpose. When John was born, there was no question about what he would do or be when he grew up.  I wonder if John ever doubted his call. Do you think he ever talked about "finding himself"?  The verses above don't leave much room for a plan B...and John didn't even have a say. This all happened when he was just a tiny baby.

In some ways, I felt a little jealous of John. What would it be like to know exactly how you fit in God's plan? To never question your existence? I mean, John's purpose is clear, distinct. "Prepare the way for the Lord." This is no small matter. We're talking world-changing stuff! What would have happened if John rebelled? If he decided it was too much pressure or he didn't like drawing that much attention to himself? Without John, who know's how Jesus would have been received!

The more I thought about it, the more I'm not so sure John was very different from you and me. Maybe no one held us up and publicly declared our purpose but the calling is there just the same. "Prepare the way for the Lord."

What if we embraced our call with the same boldness as John? He didn't hesitate to take a stand for what's right and speak out against what's wrong.  We find him preaching of forgiveness, calling out sin, standing up for the poor, and announcing the "Good News" to the people. All of these things are still needed today. 

I have the responsibility of telling the people I come in contact with"how to find salvation from their sins." I'm John of 2013.  And just like with the John of the New Testament, God's counting on me...I can't let Him down.