**********
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11 (NLT)
There is a truth in today's reading that we need to grasp so that we don't overstep our bounds as the victors God has made us to be. In the middle of today's reading are these words, "Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies." I believe so many of us are burned out because we have failed to apply this amazing command from God's word.
When I first read this sentence, I immediately jumped to the fact that God has all the energy and strength in the world. If that be the case, then shouldn't I? There's where mistakes start to happen. Our reading today isn't saying that we will have all God's strength and energy. It says to do whatever we have been gifted with when it comes to the strength and energy that He gives.
If he gives you the strength to do what you do for five minutes, then give just five minutes of effort. It is as we go beyond what God gives that we get ourselves in trouble. This is just as true when it comes to the strength and energy we need to get a job done.
Wow, I just saw something very troubling that slipped in the words I just shared. I completely set myself up for failure with my last sentence. I ended my sentence with "...to get the job done." I'm starting to realize that God isn't all that concerned with us getting the job done. He is concerned with us relating to Him as we endeavor to do things at His leading. If God wants us to finish the job, He will give us the strength and energy to do so. Many times, the strength and energy that He gives was never meant to get a job done. When we fail to compete what we start, we can feel so dejected and unworthy. That's how victim thinking creeps into our lives. Having the wrong goal in mind makes life something that God never intended it to be for us to experience.
We are way to quick to take an assignment from God and blow it into proportions that just don't make sense. It is no wonder there are so many tired and haggard Christian workers out there. Whatever God assigns us to do, He gives just enough strength and energy to do that job. I'm starting to believe that that soul tired feeling so many of us have experienced has come as a result of us going beyond what God has provided. It is when we have to muster up our own strength and energy to get the job done that burn out is a real possibility. When we get to that place of burn out, we are so easily drawn into victim thinking ways.
I know what many of you are thinking right now. If I don't do what I'm killing myself to do right now, who will? You are absolutely right. Who will? Maybe you aren't to be the one? Maybe God has other plans for you - plans you are delaying by draining all the strength and energy He has given you for that other project. Sure, the job might not get done. Is that really your problem? Aren't you suppose to be the obedient child following your Father in what He is doing through your life? If you don't have the strength or energy to do what you have done in the past, maybe God is pointing you towards something different. As for getting the job done, isn't it really up to God to get it done anyway?
I'm in no way advocating any of us cutting and running at the first sign of tiredness. The work God has given us is not easy. It requires strength and energy. Today's reading reminds me that He is to provide that strength and energy. It is when we are constantly on edge. It is when we feel like we are about to unravel day in and day out that we might need to take time and consider what God is doing in our lives at this moment.
It isn't that we failed if we have run out of strength and energy. It is that we have gone beyond the supply that the Father knew we needed. Do you trust Him in being the supplier? If not, hang on because that bone tired feeling is bound to be something you are going to experience time and time again in your life. Don't blame God! He gave you exactly what you needed. His supply was perfect. Your demand is what is offsetting the equation when it comes to how you feel in this world.
It is like the Manna God gave to the Israelites in the desert. They could pick up as much as they wanted to but the excess beyond what they needed for that day spoiled by the next morning. He wants us to trust His provision. That is so hard in this world, especially when it comes to being a success at what we put our hands to. That is the case because we tend to let what we do be the basis for who we are. That's a failed strategy that we allow in our lives way too often.
What we do has nothing to do with who we are. If you are running low on strength and energy to complete what you are working on right now, it's time to turn to God. Seek Him. Seek His guidance. See if you have gone beyond where He wanted you to go. Be willing to make changes so that His supply will, once again, match your demand.
You will get a lot done in your life today. Don't let what you get done go beyond the strength and energy God provides. If you do, your victor status could easily be traded for victim thinking. Let God give you exactly what you need to make what happens in your life today something that is unmistakably His!
There is a truth in today's reading that we need to grasp so that we don't overstep our bounds as the victors God has made us to be. In the middle of today's reading are these words, "Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies." I believe so many of us are burned out because we have failed to apply this amazing command from God's word.
When I first read this sentence, I immediately jumped to the fact that God has all the energy and strength in the world. If that be the case, then shouldn't I? There's where mistakes start to happen. Our reading today isn't saying that we will have all God's strength and energy. It says to do whatever we have been gifted with when it comes to the strength and energy that He gives.
If he gives you the strength to do what you do for five minutes, then give just five minutes of effort. It is as we go beyond what God gives that we get ourselves in trouble. This is just as true when it comes to the strength and energy we need to get a job done.
Wow, I just saw something very troubling that slipped in the words I just shared. I completely set myself up for failure with my last sentence. I ended my sentence with "...to get the job done." I'm starting to realize that God isn't all that concerned with us getting the job done. He is concerned with us relating to Him as we endeavor to do things at His leading. If God wants us to finish the job, He will give us the strength and energy to do so. Many times, the strength and energy that He gives was never meant to get a job done. When we fail to compete what we start, we can feel so dejected and unworthy. That's how victim thinking creeps into our lives. Having the wrong goal in mind makes life something that God never intended it to be for us to experience.
We are way to quick to take an assignment from God and blow it into proportions that just don't make sense. It is no wonder there are so many tired and haggard Christian workers out there. Whatever God assigns us to do, He gives just enough strength and energy to do that job. I'm starting to believe that that soul tired feeling so many of us have experienced has come as a result of us going beyond what God has provided. It is when we have to muster up our own strength and energy to get the job done that burn out is a real possibility. When we get to that place of burn out, we are so easily drawn into victim thinking ways.
I know what many of you are thinking right now. If I don't do what I'm killing myself to do right now, who will? You are absolutely right. Who will? Maybe you aren't to be the one? Maybe God has other plans for you - plans you are delaying by draining all the strength and energy He has given you for that other project. Sure, the job might not get done. Is that really your problem? Aren't you suppose to be the obedient child following your Father in what He is doing through your life? If you don't have the strength or energy to do what you have done in the past, maybe God is pointing you towards something different. As for getting the job done, isn't it really up to God to get it done anyway?
I'm in no way advocating any of us cutting and running at the first sign of tiredness. The work God has given us is not easy. It requires strength and energy. Today's reading reminds me that He is to provide that strength and energy. It is when we are constantly on edge. It is when we feel like we are about to unravel day in and day out that we might need to take time and consider what God is doing in our lives at this moment.
It isn't that we failed if we have run out of strength and energy. It is that we have gone beyond the supply that the Father knew we needed. Do you trust Him in being the supplier? If not, hang on because that bone tired feeling is bound to be something you are going to experience time and time again in your life. Don't blame God! He gave you exactly what you needed. His supply was perfect. Your demand is what is offsetting the equation when it comes to how you feel in this world.
It is like the Manna God gave to the Israelites in the desert. They could pick up as much as they wanted to but the excess beyond what they needed for that day spoiled by the next morning. He wants us to trust His provision. That is so hard in this world, especially when it comes to being a success at what we put our hands to. That is the case because we tend to let what we do be the basis for who we are. That's a failed strategy that we allow in our lives way too often.
What we do has nothing to do with who we are. If you are running low on strength and energy to complete what you are working on right now, it's time to turn to God. Seek Him. Seek His guidance. See if you have gone beyond where He wanted you to go. Be willing to make changes so that His supply will, once again, match your demand.
You will get a lot done in your life today. Don't let what you get done go beyond the strength and energy God provides. If you do, your victor status could easily be traded for victim thinking. Let God give you exactly what you need to make what happens in your life today something that is unmistakably His!
No comments:
Post a Comment