Let Us Work Our Own Field
What does the Lord want each of us to do? If we do what He has appointed for us, then we will succeed and bring glory to Him. We mustn’t go after something else which we think could have greater impact. We need to stay within the field of responsibility to which the Lord has called each of us (2 Cor 10:13). This can also be described as our running within the lane the Lord has assigned to each of us (NIV Study Bible note on 2 Cor 10:13). God has a specific task He has appointed for us to do (Jn 9:4, NLT-1986). As Francis de Sales put it, “God requires a faithful fulfillment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.”
He will speak clearly enough to us about what our call is. (If we think He hasn’t, we should keep doing the next duty He gives us). He will also make sure we are gifted and trained to do what He calls us to do. Yet, we may not be initially trained prior to being called because “God doesn’t call people who are qualified. He calls people who are willing, and then He qualifies them” (Richard Parker). Our part is to listen to Him, not be reluctant to respond (Heb 3:7-8 with NIDNTT, v 2, p 156), and closely follow the leading of His Spirit who will direct how we are prepared (Gal 5:25).
Through our own initiative or pressure from others, let us not run out of our lane or work in another field than the specific one the Lord gave to us. To do so is to meddle where we don’t belong (1 Tim 5:13). It is sin.
Comforting others is costly but worth it.