Need insight into saying: "el desempeño de tu papel"

Question

I would like some insight into the saying: "el desempeño de tu papel". It was used in my morning devotional reading (context below). If anyone is familiar with this phrase, I'd love more insight in how to use this, deeper meaning (I saw in SD dictionary it means performance) and some examples in context. Thanks to anyone who can help me.

Recuerda que Dios nunca tiene prisa, sin embargo Él siempre está a tiempo. Él usará toda tu vida preparándote en el desempeño de tu papel en la eternidad.

“La paciencia debe alcanzar la meta de hacerlos completamente maduros y mantenerlos sin defecto.” Santiago 1:4 (PDT)

I'm raally interested in contexts outside this usage. - katydew, May 23, 2014

Answer 1

... preparing you to carry out your role in eternity. ( or for all eternity, perhaps that sounds better, although it alters the meaning ?)

Sorry, not being familiar with religous thinking I've now got doubts whether it means your Eternal role, such as in Heaven or rather, carrying out your role for all eternity??

Thanks Annie, I was also wondering about the wording. Have you heard this phrase in other contexts. I'm not familiar with it. - katydew, May 22, 2014

desempear un papel menor/un papel secundario ) to play a minor role/play second fiddle. - annierats, May 22, 2014

Thanks for the sentence. - katydew, May 23, 2014

Answer 2

I would guess that there's a passive conscience of predestination in religious matter, especially for Abrahamic religions like Christendom.

That means you're meant to play a role in life before you even are aware of it. Like Annie I'm not used to religious thinking either, but the notion must be related to the meanigfulness of the individual's life according to the god that created them.

I sort of meant, in eternity, for ever, in the afterlife, what would be your role? - annierats, May 22, 2014

I was also asking about other contexts to use this phrase. Is this a phrase that is common? - katydew, May 23, 2014

@katy: it's more common to say "hacer su parte", ejemplo: él nos prepara para que hagamos nuestra parte en la eternidad. @annie: in the afterlife I'd play the impressed one role, given I don't believe in kingdom come - diagonx, May 23, 2014

Answer 3

desempeñar = perform

Yes. Perform, carry out, to play a role.. - annierats, May 22, 2014

:) - chileno, May 22, 2014

Is this a common phrase? - katydew, May 23, 2014