Don't Play it Safe
Well, when I picked up this book about a medical procedure in a Christian bookshop, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But straight away in the introduction, Doctor Seth, who wrote the book, said this: "We all needed the grace and power of God moving in ways beyond our comprehension. How can I express my gratitude to God? This is all for His glory, never mine. There's nothing remotely special about me. I'm happy to be His scalpel, His forceps, or whatever use He might have for me.”
I read that and I thought, OK, I'm going to enjoy this book. If that is his mindset, then I'm sure I can learn from this man.
Faith and Purpose
A bit later in the book, he tells his story about how his parents came over to the States from India so that their kids could have good opportunities. And he became an orthopedic surgeon.
When he graduated, he heard a speech that changed his life. One of the surgeons said this: "You are responsible as an orthopedic surgeon to push the science forward. You're not here to tread water, but to swim into deeper seas. If you don't do that, if you'd rather play it safe and stay in shallow water and just do your job, cash your checks and go home, then you've failed to use your God-given talents for their true purpose. Our generation must push further than the one before. If you don't, who will?"
Using God-Given Talents
And so, Doctor Seth says for his whole career, he was looking for something groundbreaking that he could do—something that would take this field of orthopedic surgery to a new level. And this operation turned out to be it.
Let me ask you, are you going the extra mile in your job, in your family, and in your relationships? In whatever it is you're called to do?
Are you going that extra mile, pushing the boundaries, trying to do as much good as you possibly can, or are you playing it safe?
Look at the early church, friends—Jesus Himself. And then Peter and Paul and all the disciples. They didn't play it safe. They pushed the boundaries. They used their skills and their talents to do great and wonderful things.
Live with Courage
I hope that you and I don't play it safe! I know I have a tendency to do that instead of pushing the boundaries. Let's not do that, friends. Let's use our God-given talents to go as far as we can go for His glory and not for ours.
No matter how old you are, no matter how young you are, no matter who you are, why don't you ask God how He can use your life in an extraordinary way?
And remember, that might be something small. It doesn't have to necessarily be changing the field of orthopedic surgery, but you could do something small but deeply significant in the life of somebody, and it could change everything for them.
Be on the lookout today for something extraordinary you can do, big or small—and then, with God's help, do it.
