**Thou anointest my head with oil** Psalm 23:5b
Anointings are unique acts in the Bible. They are reserved for kings and priests and for those that are ill and in need of healing. David was anointed King of Israel. God chose him because He knew that David would always seek him and allow God to use him as He saw fit.
Jesus anointed a blind man with mud so that he could regain his sight. Don’t quote me, but, I think the lesson there is that the ingredients for the anointing are not as important as the power behind the ingredients.
In Exodus 28, we see that the anointing of Priests and Kings was to set them apart for an important duty in service to God and to a nation. When someone was anointed for God’s calling, this anointing gave them a measure of protection as they completed their duties. They were to serve their people and glorify God in everything, not taking the praise and glory or power for themselves. This is something that David was faithful at.
As Christians, we also share in this anointing of kings and priests. We are set apart for God’s use and to fulfill his purpose and bring him glory. Yet, sometimes, because this anointing is not public or visual, we tend to forget that we have been set apart and that He requires and desires certain things from us.
We all share in these same purposes to fulfill his will and give him glory, but what is YOUR specific purpose? What gift has God given you and desires that you would develop so that you could not only give him more glory but also be more fruitful?
David started out with just being faithful at his job as a shepherd, following his father’s orders and singing and writing music that exalted his God. His heart was devoted to him and God knew that He could use him to have more impact on his people.
My gift is not in being a missionary. Being a missionary is a job. Yes, it can be a calling, but I know several missionaries who are serving just to do the work, but do not have a specific calling.
I have other gifts that God has given me that I am trying to develop day by day so that He can use them to reach others and glorify his name.
Have you been anointed? Maybe not physically, or publicly. But is there something that you know or others have told you that you are gifted at? Something that you recognize that you do better than most or you at least enjoy something that many do not? Could that thing be the one thing that God wants you to develop and excel at so that it can be more fruitful?
I encourage my readers to take some time to think about their calling or gifts. If you have little idea where to start, have a chat with a few different people that are farther down the road than you are. Find the common thoughts that link every conversation. I usually find that God will give you some key words to focus on.
Examples …Ana was a widow given to prayer when others weren’t ….Dorcas was a seamstress who ministered to widows and the poor. ….Others were generous givers….others were servants….Aquila and Priscilla were teachers and disciplers….the disciples were evangelists, administrators, discerners of doctrines, writers. There are a lot of choices.
There are also lists in the New Testament that could give you a starting point. What can you see yourself doing? What things make you run away? Our feelings are not a determiner to our purpose, but they can be a way to start filtering through the possibiities.
One last thought, the idea is to find one thing that you can develop and use for God’s glory. If you are faithful in one, there is a good chance that you will be able to develop others.
So, take some time to think it through if you have not found your ‘Thing’ . You may find yourself with an anointing you never expected, as David the humble shepherd did, that will touch the lives of more people than you could ever imagine.