To be Irreplaceable

Shortly after we married I was working as a legal assistant in a family office, doing divorce law. It taught me two things, 1. I hated family law and 2. I was never going to get a divorce, I would do everything in my power to have a marriage that lasts than go through or put my family through anything so nasty, demeaning and destructive. I did not enjoy that job for a myriad of reasons and even though initially my main job was working with the divorce lawyer, I also worked for an estate lawyer. I enjoyed the estate and litigation work. The other major problem was there had been a mis-communication in the hiring process that meant I was being paid about $500 less a month than I had anticipated. They assured me they would raise me up as I worked there longer and yet, at my first salary review, they told me that I was "not indispensable" and therefore was getting no raise at all. I quickly found another job, but based on that low payscale it took me about 5 years before I was making the same amount of money before I took that job - and I had to leave the legal field to do it.

When I try to make my own place, to create my own calling, then I fail myself and my God because I am trying to be God. When I seek to have an irreplaceable role, desiring it so strongly that I attempt to create my own, I may feel it is an irreplaceable role but the truth is that I will have created exactly the opposite - an unnecessary one. A calling, created by myself, is nothing less then a make-work project, and it is harder work than the work God calls us to do. See, when God calls us to work, He calls us into a partnership with Him, where He does the bulk of the heavy labour. When God calls us to a task, He enables, strengthens and supports us so we can accomplish it.

²⁸Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

When I fill the job, or answer the calling, that God has given me, then I am irreplaceble, or indispensable. Then I can accomplish more, reach more than when I step out on my own, trying desperately to fill a job meant for someone else.

Are you filling the role God has called you to or are you running from it, trying to create a place in the world for yourself that does not fit His plan for your life? I am so grateful that He has called me to where I am today. The calling has changed over the years along with the circumstances of my situation and my life and I am forever thankful that He is in charge of my life!