Numbers 4:27. "All the service of the sons of the Gershonites shall be at the command of Aaron and his sons, in all that they are to carry, and in all that they have to do; and you shall assign to their charge all that they are to carry."

God is speaking to Moses and Aaron and assigning different tasks to different families among the Jews. He gives to the Gershonites the task of serving by carrying burdens: they are to carry everything that makes up the tent of meeting and all the necessary equipment (Numbers 4:24-26). They are to serve under the command of Aaron and his sons, the priestly family.

Carrying the tent of meeting and all its components from place to place might seem like a pretty menial task, but it was an important one, and one that had to be done properly. I must admit, though, when I first read this, I was thinking that it seemed unfair to limit all of the sons of this family to this job. What if one of them wanted to do something else? Shouldn't they be able to explore other "careers?" But even as I thought it I realized that is the world talking and not God. God has a task for each of us. He would never limit us, nor overburden us. He wants us to flourish, and He gives us tasks that are what we need to help us do that. It is so freeing when we come to know that we don't have to cast around for what we want to do with our lives, we don't have to explore endless possibilities, we just have to open ourselves to God's will and he will show us what He wants us to do.

Imagine the pride of the Gershonites at having been given this task! They were responsible for the tent of meeting, the place where God came to his people! I imagine the fathers teaching the sons to carefully disassemble the parts of the tent, treating them with the utmost respect; to pack them properly; and to carry them in a manner worthy of what they were. This kind of respect and pride in work would not come from randomly assigned workmen, it is fostered by having the job be limited to one family who passes on this heritage to its children.

I used to really stress about what I was supposed to be doing. Over the last five years or so, I have learned discernment and how to ask God when I am unsure, but I still find myself questioning sometimes. I realize that this is because I bought into the ways of the world for so long, and probably still do to some extent. God has given me more than enough to do in one day. If I am concerned about the future, or if I am suffering from "fear of missing out", that is because I am comparing myself and my life to others', or to what the world might expect of me. That is not healthy. If the Gershonites had compared themselves to the house of Aaron, and had asked why they and their children could not aspire to the priesthood, they most likely would have become resentful, and would not have focused on developing the skills necessary to carry out their important task well.

All of my tasks in each day are just as important to God as any other task that anyone else does. There is so much work to be done in this world, and God portions it out to those He wants to do it. So I will be more content, and do everything I need to do in each day with respect for the task, no matter how small or menial, and pride of work, knowing that I am doing it for God.