"Having carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you" (Luke 1:3, NLT).

The fact that others had written the story of Jesus and the Good News did not hinder Luke from taking up the pen.  He acknowledged the fact that “many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been fulfilled among us” (Luke 1:1), but Luke also decided to write.

Sometimes we become stagnant because others seem to be doing all the work.  Why offer to teach Sunday school if there are plenty of teachers?  Why join the choir when it has a full contingent of sopranos?  Why write a book when others have written before us?  Why visit the sick when there’s a committee appointed to do all that?

The answer to the “why” is found here.  Luke knew others had written, but he decided to also do so.  What others do is their business; what I do is mine.  We need to find the goodwill of God for our lives and to do it cheerfully.  Jesus said to God, “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4), and then He went home to heaven.  We must do the same; whether others have taught, sung, written, or visited the sick before us is really quite irrelevant.  We must seek God’s face, discover our gifts, and do His will with all our might.  When it seems good to me, and I sense His direction, I go ahead and leave the rest to Him.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for gifting me with many ways to serve You.  Open doors of opportunity where I can honor You, then give me wisdom and energy for the work that needs to be done.  Amen.