The Example of Nehemiah in Jerusalem
In ancient Israel, when they were in exile in Babylon (which became the Medea-Persian empire), Nehemiah was cup bearer to the King. He asked the King to give him leave, and provide the resources, to go back to his home city of Jerusalem and rebuild the walls that had fallen into disrepair. King Artaxerxes granted his request and he journeyed back to Jerusalem. When he arrived he went out at night and inspected the walls, finding them in as terrible a state as had been reported to him.
Then he addressed the priests and local leaders:
But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!” Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)
Then in the next chapter we get a listing of dozens of families and communities that each took charge of rebuilding a section of the wall or resetting one of the doors of the numerous gates in the wall. After each description of the work done by one group, the words “and next to them” leads into the description of the next group. One by one, side by side, these families and communities work on the wall, each one starting where the previous one will leave off. As each one played their part, the entire wall could be rebuilt.
Fulfilling Your Calling
Each of us has specific roles or callings, the result of our personalities, gifting and preferences. We each have different levels of intellect and manual dexterity. Some are good at math and others excel in interpersonal relationships. Some are fascinated by astronomy and others by cooking and baking. Some work alone and others function best when they are part of a team. Some are attracted to education, some to civil government, some to arts and media and others to religion.
Regardless of your interests and gifting, there is a place for you. The goal we all seek is to be employed doing what we both do well and enjoy doing. If you are good at something but not particularly interested in it, you may do a competent job but you won’t likely excel because your heart won’t be in it. On the other hand, if you really enjoy something but aren’t particularly good at it, you won’t have many employment options (but perhaps an enjoyable hobby). Happy is the person who can spend their days doing good work in an area in which they enjoy working.
Hopefully for many of us, our gifting is obvious. I love researching and writing. I love studying systems and processes to find ways to improve them. In my career I gravitated towards broken or inefficient systems and successfully improved them in every job I held.
On the other hand, I never gave a second thought to being a mechanic or carpenter. I can’t cut a straight line, with any kind of saw. But I do enjoy watching someone who is good with their hands make or repair something with skill and grace.
What is Your Place on the Wall?
In addition to knowing your gifts and calling, part of “finding your place on the wall” is knowing where to apply your gifts. In my case, local government and the local church were my arenas. There were certainly many opportunities to “improve systems” in small business, corporations or education but I was fortunate (blessed) to have had the opportunity to exercise my gifting in areas where I was also serving the people in my community.
In the story of Nehemiah, by everyone doing the specific assignment to which they were called, the wall was successfully rebuilt. This is true in our current time, and true at any time. “The wall is rebuilt” when everyone plays the role to which they are called. Just as finding a role that utilizes your specific gifts and calling is essential, finding the best arena to utilize your gifts is crucial.
Conclusion
We are each created by God for a purpose and have/develop the gifts, skills and interest that lead us into our purpose.1 If you don’t yet know your gifts and calling and “your place on the wall” in your current season, take the time to examine your life, seek wise counsel, dream big and evaluate what you most love to do. Be bold and be wise. Strive to be the best you can be and fulfill your purpose. There is no one on earth who can do what only you are uniquely called to do.
We may have different purposes in different seasons of life and therefore develop and utilize the unique skills, gifts and interest needed for each purpose.