Raison d’Être

Read Titus 1:1-16

“The reason I left you in Crete was that you might
straighten out what was left unfinished…”
(Titus 1:5)

Thoughts… Think about this: The reason you may want to leave something may be the very reason God has you in there in the first place.

It may be your job or church or a relationship or a place of ministry. Perhaps the going is tough and you want to get going. You’ve come to realize that the grass would be greener somewhere else, and you’d rather be there. Life would be a lot easier if you just packed up and left—got a new job, found a new church, ditched that relationship for a more healthy one, turned in your resignation from that ministry commitment.

That’s what Titus wanted to do. Paul had left him on the Island of Crete to pastor the church there. Apparently, the Cretan Community Church was full of—well, cretans. They weren’t the easiest people to shepherd and it wasn’t the easiest church to lead, so Titus had turned in his letter of resignation, informing Paul that it wasn’t going well and he was ready for a better assignment.

But Paul knew it was a tough place. He knew that when he assigned Crete to Titus. He even admitted to this young pastor here in chapter one, “Even one of their own prophets has said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.’” And that was on a good day!

However, that was the very reason they needed a pastor. That was the purpose for which Titus was sent—to straigthen that mess out. That was this young minister’s raison d’etre—his reason for being there. Paul says, in effect, “buck up, buddy, that’s why I left you there. Straighten out them out, then we’ll talk.

The Creten needed someone like Titus who had the ministry of straightening out. And it may very well be that God has given you the ministry of straightening out, too. Maybe that’s why you are where you are, your raison d’être. Perhaps the very thing that is tempting you to leave that job or relationship or your church or the ministry you are in is exactly why God has placed you there.

Don’t be so quick to run! Go the extra mile—it’s never crowded there. That’s where the champions, the heroes of faith hang out!

Prayer… Father, may I never be too quick to run. May I be faithful to the call you have placed upon me. Help me to see when the difficulties I am facing are the very reasons why I need to stay put and stay faithful.

One More Thing… “The best way out is always through.” —Robert Frost