“And Samson cried out to God: Master, God! Oh, please, look on me again, Oh, please, give strength yet once more.” Judges 16:28
Listen to Set Apart or Set On A Shelf?
In baseball he is called “the closer;” a pitcher set apart to pitch one, maybe two innings, but seldom more. In football he is the place kicker, an often frail runt among giants. He stands alone at the end of the bench kicking a football into a net as other men sweat and bleed. In soccer and hockey he is the goalie. While other players sprint down the field or skate across the ice, the goalie waits and watches. These specialists are set apart for a purpose: to preserve victory. And, if their team is very good, if the hitters hit and the running backs score and the forwards drive the ball and puck into the net, then the talents of the specialists remain unused, sitting on the shelf.
I am a writer set apart by God. For what purpose, I don’t know. I have no blockbuster credits to my name, no celebrated speaking platform. Just words and thoughts woven into sentences. When my team is good, when the Word goes forth from the pulpits and transmission towers and bookshelves, then I practice my craft in obscurity and await the call that never comes.
Samson was set apart. Gifted from birth, God called him to preserve His people from the hoards of heathens that surrounded them. But Samson craved the excitement and loved the limelight. Bored in his role as “the closer,” he forced the action, and oh what a force he was, slaying lions with his bare hands and men with the jawbone of an ass. Because of his great skill, speed and might he could leave the net, race down the field, score the winning goal and return to his post before his enemies could react. He was Superman, a super star. And as most shooting stars, he fell in spectacular fashion.
“A certain man… had a wife who was sterile… but the angel of the Lord said, ‘You are going to conceive a son’… to be set apart to God from birth.”
When we say “yes” to God, when we invite Him into our lives, we agree to be set apart for His purposes, not ours. Some achieve stunning success, others are called to common chores. But when the final trumpet blares, when the highlight reel rolls, we will all bow our knees and shout with joy, “Hallelujah, for our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad!”
What gift has God given you? To what task have you been called that leaves you isolated, under appreciated, and ignored. It just may be that in simply living a life set apart to Him, you save your family, friends and community from the hoards that surrounded you. It may be that in His eyes you are the star of the show.