The Place I’m In

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15

Do you ever look around at your life and wonder, “What’s my purpose?”

You look at your circumstances, your job, your home, or the season you’re in and wonder if God has something more for you. You start thinking, If only I were somewhere else. If only things were different. If only I had more.

And then our past gets in the way. We remember the mistakes, the failures, and the things we wish we could undo. And the enemy is quick to whisper, “You’ve gone too far. God can’t use you now. You’ve messed up too much. You’re too far gone.”

But look at Paul.

Paul didn’t describe himself as someone who had simply made a few mistakes. He called himself the foremost of sinners. He had persecuted Christians, approved of Stephen’s death, and was determined to destroy the church. Yet God chose Paul, saved him, changed him, and gave him a completely different purpose.

The man who once tried to silence the followers of Jesus became one of the greatest voices proclaiming the gospel. His life became a demonstration of Christ’s limitless patience.

If God wasn’t finished with Paul, He’s not finished with you.

He saved you. Your salvation is a miracle. God reached you exactly where you were, changed you, and continues to sanctify you.

You are not the same person you used to be.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

The Holy Spirit is continually working in you, chipping away at the things that don’t look like Jesus. He is changing you, shaping you, strengthening you, teaching you, and making you more like Him.

After everything He has already done in you, He still wants to use you.

But the enemy wants us to believe that where we are right now isn’t enough for what God has planned for our lives.

If only I had this. If only I were there. If only my circumstances were different. If only I had more.

We start looking at our lives through our own eyes and downgrade the very place God has placed us.

We feel cheated.

But what if we’re chosen?

I heard a story recently about a woman who felt like God was calling her to quit her job. She started babysitting and discovered how much she loved working with children. She worked for several different families, but she kept wondering if God had something else ahead for her.

One day, before going to babysit for one of the families, she prayed. As she walked toward the door, she felt like God was allowing her to see her job through His eyes.

She realized she wasn’t just babysitting.

She was helping raise those children. She was teaching them Bible verses and telling them about God. She was pouring into their lives. She was also helping their parents by giving them time to go on dates, reconnect, and strengthen their marriage.

What she had been looking at as something small, God was using for something much bigger.

She didn’t need a different location to be used by God. God was already using her right where she was.

And that made me think about how often we do the same thing. We keep looking toward the next place, the next opportunity, or the next season, convinced that that’s where God will finally use us.

But what if He’s already giving us opportunities to serve Him where we are?

The location you’re in doesn’t keep the Holy Spirit from working through you. He walks with you.

He loves you so much that He didn’t just save you and send you on your way. He is with you in the ordinary moments, the hard seasons, and the places you never expected to be.

You are His temple, and His Spirit lives in you.

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
1 Corinthians 6:19–20

The treasure is already in you.

What if instead of asking God to get us somewhere else, we asked:

“God, use me right here.”

Use me in this home.
Use me in this job.
Use me in this season.
Use me in this place.

Because no one is too far gone, and no place is too insignificant for God to work.

Paul’s past didn’t have the final word and neither does yours!

God wasn’t finished with Paul. He’s not finished with you either.

Take a Moment

Have I been so focused on where I want to be that I’ve overlooked what God has placed in front of me?

What has my past convinced me I’m disqualified from?

What would it look like for me to pray, “God, use me right here”?

Prayer

Lord,

Thank You for Your limitless patience. Thank You for saving us, changing us, and continuing to sanctify us. Help us stop looking at our lives through the enemy’s eyes and start seeing them through Yours. When we feel cheated, remind us that we are chosen. When we feel like we’re not enough, remind us that Your Spirit is in us and walks with us. Wherever You have placed us, help us say, “Use me.”

In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.