At our baptism and confirmation, we were consecrated. This “consecration” means that we are chosen, set apart by God and for God to fulfill the special mission that He entrusted to each of us.

This means that each one of us and the mission entrusted to us are unique and irreplaceable.

And because “God is love”, so each of us, the Christ-follower, is God’s “special envoy of love.”

We all have experiences of having some important mission or projects that we need to complete, such as taking the public exams during school days, organizing large projects in the workplace, preparing for our own wedding, or welcoming the birth of a new life, we would naturally choose to step away temporarily from the less important things in life so that we can focus on completing the more important ones at hand. It makes sense, right? When we are occupied with  “many things” in our minds, we become like Martha, anxious and distracted. We are unable to put all our energy and thoughts on the most important mission at hand. When we are confused and distracted, our performance will naturally suffer, and we are more likely to make wrong decisions and the outcome would not be as good as expected.

The saddest thing is that we cannot “live in the present moment”.  As a result, we would not be able to listen to God’s voice or discover His presence and footsteps in each moment of life.

In fact, many of us dedicate all our energy and efforts into achieving as many accomplishments as possible in our lives. Perhaps we want to contribute to society and serve others, or we want to prove our abilities and leave a lasting legacy. Whatever our intentions and goals may be, when we reach the end of our lives and look back, we may find that the most important things in our lives are not what we thought they were. We may be surprised to discover that what we spent our whole lives pursuing was not the most important thing, nor was it what God intended for us to achieve!

That is why Jesus told Martha in Luke 10:41-42, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

So what about you? Do you know what is the “better part” that God has prepared for you? It’s certainly to choose God, but it’s also to choose to accept the unique mission that He has entrusted to you. The sooner you can discern and identify this mission, the more time you will have to carry it out. And most importantly, this mission can only be fulfilled and completed by you.

Jesus responded immediately to the Father’s call to “enter the wilderness” when His time had come. His great example should profoundly inspire us, prompting us to act. Because God’s timing is not for us to know or predict, we cannot assume that we still have lots of time ahead of us. We must put the talents that God has gifted us to good use in a timely fashion and not to procrastinate, so that we can prepare ourselves well for the Master’s return and be able to give an account.

When Jesus knew that His time had come, according to God’s plan, He responded with absolute obedience and took action immediately. Although Jesus is God, He humbled Himself to be baptized by John the Baptist before letting the Holy Spirit lead Him into the wilderness, where He was tempted by the devil.

He demonstrated His faithfulness to the Father through His actions and accepted the mission entrusted to Him by the Father. He was  determined to cast aside all the unnecessary and lesser things in life in order to focus all His energy on the work entrusted to Him by the Father!

So let us once again learn from the example of Jesus and follow the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, acknowledging before our Father that we are important in His eyes. We have both the identity of being God’s beloved children and the responsibility of carrying out the special mission He entrusted to us. We must not believe the devil’s lies that we are not good enough. In God’s eyes, each and every one of us is equally precious and important!

Our Father is waiting for each of us in the wilderness, ready to declare His love and express His hope for us. Just like our earthly parents, only that God’s love is ever more unconditional and bottomless!

Reflection

Do you believe that God has entrusted you with a mission that only you can fulfill? Have you been avoiding this important question in life?

Are you anxious and worried about many things? Are there many things that you can’t let go of?

Are you fearful of the call to “enter the wilderness”? During this Lenten season, do you have more courage to “enter the wilderness”? Now, please ask God to grant you enough courage to do so.

Today’s Prayer

Merciful Abba Father, thank You for letting me know that You have been waiting for me in the wilderness, eager to express Your love to me. Please help me seize this opportunity of Lent and seriously contemplate the reason why You created me, as well as discern and acknowledge Your hopes for me. Please do not let me waste the many graces You have given me, and not let my life, which You have graciously bestowed upon me, be in vain. I ask all these in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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