Thus says the Lord:
Here is my servant whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have endowed him with my spirit
that he may bring true justice to the nations.
He does not cry out or shout aloud,
or make his voice heard in the streets.
He does not break the crushed reed,
nor quench the wavering flame.
Faithfully he brings true justice;
he will neither waver, nor be crushed
until true justice is established on earth,
for the islands are awaiting his law.
I, the Lord, have called you to serve the cause of right;
I have taken you by the hand and formed you;
I have appointed you as covenant of the people and light of the nations,
to open the eyes of the blind,
to free captives from prison,
and those who live in darkness from the dungeon.
Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘The truth I have now come to realise’ he said ‘is that God does not have favourites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.
‘It is true, God sent his word to the people of Israel, and it was to them that the good news of peace was brought by Jesus Christ – but Jesus Christ is Lord of all men. You must have heard about the recent happenings in Judaea; about Jesus of Nazareth and how he began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism. God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.’
Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. John tried to dissuade him. ‘It is I who need baptism from you’ he said ‘and yet you come to me!’ But Jesus replied, ‘Leave it like this for the time being; it is fitting that we should, in this way, do all that righteousness demands.’ At this, John gave in to him.
As soon as Jesus was baptised he came up from the water, and suddenly the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice spoke from heaven, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on him.’
Back in 2010, when I was still struggling with my job in a new company, I made it a daily exercise to visualize how I want things to be. One of which is imagining that someday I will excel in my work, that I will be more familiar with the flow of things and be confident in my new role.
I continue to seek mentorship from others and tried to learn as much as I can. And although I reached the stage where I feel more comfortable with the knowledge I earned, I continue to work diligently, never assuming that I knew enough. As long as I do my job to the best of my ability, with or without hearing commendation from my managers, that should be enough.
But I did not know that I have become who I envisioned to be until my manager revealed during our quarterly coaching sessions. She said that she did not regret hiring me although I have little experience in the role that was offered to me. She appreciated my perseverance and humility in the work I do. She is proud of me.
If it felt this good to hear these words from my manager, how elated it must have been for Jesus to hear these words from His Father:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17
Despite being affirmed by the Father, Jesus remained humble and continued to pursue the mission that was set before Him. In these times, we may not hear the same vivid words from our Father just like Jesus’ time. But having been blessed every day and enjoying the fruits of our labor is loud enough of an affirmation for us. Like Jesus we must continue to maintain humility and pursue the mission He has set for us.
Prayer
God our Father, when life pushes us down with worldly demands, may we still remember Your plan for us. Like Jesus, may You find delight in the tasks that we do as we brave life’s littlest challenges. Amen.
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