His Plan, Not Ours
The Lord has a plan for each of us (Ps 16:5, GW). It is a specific plan about what He wants us to do (Prov 20:24, NCV). To enable us to fulfill His plan for our life, He gives us abilities and gifts that are appropriate for our appointed task (1 Cor 7:17, TNT). These abilities and gifts can undoubtedly be used for our own purposes but He wants us to use them for His purposes. For instance, a person who has an analytical mind, a good way with people, and both oratorical and leadership gifts, could just as easily be a politician, a teacher, a coach, a pastor etc. Our part is to find out where and how God wants us to use our gifts – i.e. to determine what His plan is for us – then to walk with Him in fulfilling it. He will make this clear enough if we keep asking Him about it and don’t complain if it happens to not be what we would prefer (Eccl 6:10, NCV).
What if the Lord has called us to spend 30 years doing something to which most people would attribute little value? If we focus on His opinion instead of our own or on the opinion of others, it will not matter to us. As living sacrifices (Rom 12:1), what we crave is not important. He will take care of our needs as He sees fit. He wants to use us to further His kingdom, help others, become transformed, and glorify Himself according to what He knows is best.
Let us neither be proud nor embarrassed by His choice of our destiny but see His choice as a way He wants to show His love to us and through us (Acts 13:17, JNTC note).
Comforting others is costly but worth it.