Feeling discouraged in your purpose? Dr. Tony Evans encourages leaders called to 'a small place'
Article By Rebecca Johnson // EEW Magazine Matters of Faith
Have you ever felt like you weren’t flourishing in your purpose and began to question whether God even called you in the first place? If so, Dr. Tony Evans has some words of wisdom for you.
“You cannot confuse purpose with scope,” said the senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, TX, making the point that everyone’s audience and reach is not the same.
“Your giftedness is your giftedness, no matter what the level of the scope it’s being used at, at any particular time,” continued the 69-year-old leader who is the author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies.
The evangelical preacher’s wisdom was shared by his longtime church member and mentee, GRAMMY® Award-winning composer, Kirk Franklin.
“You’re in purpose if God can use you and the giftedness He’s given you in the scope He has you in right now, while you’re trusting Him for a broader context for that gift to be used.”
Franklin enjoys picking the brains of scholarly Christian leaders and going in depth about faith. Back in January 2017, the “Imagine Me” songwriter wept from gratefulness after having some tough theological questions answered by the Canadian-American Christian apologist, Ravi Zacharias, notorious for tackling and answering challenging questions typically used to discredit the Bible, and stir doubt in believers.
48-year-old Franklin asked Evans a clarifying question in the Instagram video: “So, sometimes we think if we’re not being used on a bigger scale, then we’re not being in purpose?”
Evans confirmed, “That’s right,” adding, “You’re in purpose if God can use you and the giftedness He’s given you in the scope He has you in right now, while you’re trusting Him for a broader context for that gift to be used.”
Whether you are connecting with 10 or fewer, or 10,000 or more, the key is being a good steward over the purpose and platform God has entrusted to you in that season.
Evans ended his exposition on purpose and scope, with this: “So a person who has a gift, if they’re using it in a small place, should still be using that gift in that place for the glory of God, while praying for God to expand their territory.”
To hear more teaching from Dr. Evans, visit him online at TonyEvans.org.
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