DAY 5

What does the Lord need an engineer for?

“I wonder why God wasted the first 27 years of my life with all that engineering?” Peter often thought while in Bible college. He had an excellent grounding in motor engineering and aviation engineering, and there he was, learning Greek, Hebrew and Hermeneutics. It seemed a bit of a waste... 

Upon accepting the job of organizing CfaN's transportation department, Peter and Vangi once again packed up the family. This time they settled in Johannesburg, South Africa at the ministry headquarters and Peter set to work. After only four months with CfaN a noticeable transformation occurred in the ministry's transit operations and Peter was given the position of General Coordinator of the ministry. 

It was in this capacity that he found himself summoned to New York city to represent CfaN before a panel of American engineers. The group had manufactured  some defective equipment that cost the ministry a great deal of money. Feeling "out of his depth" Peter kept quiet for the majority of the proceedings, but quickly noted the faulty premise of the committee. Eventually, he raised his hand and politely explained the inconsistency. The meeting was abruptly called to a close, and a solution to the issue was soon achieved in favor of CfaN. 

Peter exclaimed to Vangi, “Now I understand what the Lord was doing all along, training me in engineering, running a business, working with technical teams, then preaching and singing and teaching. Here at CfaN, I’m using all of it!”

That’s the way of it when you follow the call of God on your life. He uses everything we have, and surprises us with what He finds useful as He uses us to build the Kingdom. So often, we think it’s only preaching and evangelism that God needs, but He has a place for each one of us. He knows us completely, and you’ll find your passions and interests woven into God’s plans for your life, in unexpected and deeply satisfying ways. 

Questions: 

1.  What parallels do you see in Peter's story and the story of Joseph in Genesis 39:2-6? What do the outcomes of these two narratives tell us about God's attitude toward excellent work?
2. Genesis 39:2 begins by saying "The Lord was with Joseph..." What kind of impact do you think this had on the way in which Joseph approached his work? How do you think God's presence impacted Peter? How does it affect your daily work to know that the Lord is with you? 
3. The fourth chapter of John tells the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Jesus' words to the woman indicated that he knew everything about her and she was amazed. What comes to mind when you meditate on the thought "Jesus knows everything about me"? How does this influence your perspective on God's plan for your life? 
4. In John 4:39-42 the woman at the well ends up telling many people in her city about Jesus and they come to believe in him. How do you think Jesus' knowledge of the woman's evangelistic ability influenced his decision to speak with her in the first place?