Okay! Let’s Finish Putting It All Together
Day 8
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A Reminder: God not only gives us “The Gifts Of The Spirit”, He gives us special talents. You should have already been thinking about this. And, don’t wait (until perfected) to use your talents and gifts. Someone once said, “practice makes perfect”.
A Personal Story
Several years ago my husband asked me this question. Is there anything you would really like to do that you have never had the chance to? After a little extra nudge from him, I said this: “I always wanted to play the “Cello”. I told my father this once, but he dismissed me (I don’t know why. Perhaps he didn’t have the money to buy a cello…who knows…). Anyway, my husband took me to a music store and bought me my first “Cello”. So at the age of 46, I found a wonderful and patient music teacher. I became a part of our church orchestra after taking lessons for 3 years. I could have become a part of the orchestra sooner, but that’s how long it took me to get up the nerve to play in front of anyone besides my husband. Bless his heart, I remember the day he told me, “I recognize a tune”! I thought because I wanted to play this instrument so much I would pick it up with no problem. I read music well (71/2 years of piano as a kid). It was actually very difficult for me. It took me several lessons to be able to move my left arm up and down….and my right arm back and forth at the same time. I can now pat my head and rub my tummy well too. My point is, I am very average in my skills, but there is something magical about playing with other musicians. We all fit together well. I remember one of the other musicians (she’s also a music teacher and plays the flute with excellence) said of our sheet music one Sunday morning….”this is fifth grade band stuff”. And I said, “just my speed”! As you use your talents and your gifts you will become more comfortable with them, and with practice you will improve! I promise! Which leads me into the next point…
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Your Heart’s Desires: Psalm 37:4 says to “Find your joy in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” Your desires in serving the Lord are never silly or out of reach!
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Think about your experiences in life because they will forever be a part of “Your Personal Testimony” to the Love, Grace and Faithfulness of the Lord in your life. Remember the quote I gave you? “We speak best of God and His goodness when we speak from our own experience“. Matthew Henry
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Where is your Mission field? What season of life are you in? These two need to be considered together because the season of life you are in will greatly affect where, when and how far you can venture out. For example: My husband and I will be staying close to home because his mother needs our attention (even though she is living in a nursing home). I believe it’s called the “sandwich generation?”. The season of life you are in does not keep you from “being on mission”. Being married or single doesn’t keep you from ”being on mission”. When you walk out your front door in the morning, “you are entering the mission field”.
Day 9
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Our confidence as Christian women comes from knowing who we are in Christ as we live daily for HIS PURPOSE.
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Psalm 71:5-6 “From our beginning the Lord has been our confidence… (our security)”.
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If you need a boost in your confidence read again the scriptures referred to in Day 9 and don’t let the devil fill you with the lie, “you have nothing to offer” or “God can’t use you”…… The devil’ will devalue God’s gifts and doing God’s work every chance he gets.
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And, NO…I am not telling anyone to be “PROUD (Pride), which we all know is a sin. Our talents and gifts are meant to be shared so that the Kingdom of God might be pushed forward. To keep them to ourselves is the wrong thing to do.
Day 10 and 11
- If our #1 Purpose is to have relationship with God and to glorify Him, our #2 Purpose, our reason for living, is to further the Kingdom of God (after we have accepted Christ as “OUR LORD AND SAVIOR”) by living the life and becoming like Jesus Christ. This is “GOD’S PLAN” for you! He has already written the script. You just have to make yourself available!
- Jesus gave His life as “the perfect, correct amount of payment……the perfect sacrifice” for our sins. Jesus came to give us everlasting life, so that we could live in the light, to give us the truth.
- We are commanded by Jesus to: Love God with all our heart, soul and mind. Love one another as He has loved us.
- We are commanded by Jesus to: Go and make disciples……teaching…spreading the Gospel (Good News)
- If you read John 13:12-17, you will know that Jesus provided the Disciples with a wonderful illustration of humility and love by washing their feet. “You will be blessed if you do this“….SERVE ONE ANOTHER!!!!!!
God’s Purpose for Your Existence
Is to be in Relationship with Him
His Plan was to Reconcile you to Him
Through the Sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ
Whose Purpose for You
Is to Become His Disciple, to Be like Him
His Plan is to Teach You to use the Gifts, Talents and Experiences in Your Life, to give your unique Testimony to Others, so they might be reconciled to the Father
For the Purpose of Living in Heaven to Glorify Him for All Eternity
2 Corinthians 5:20 “We are therefore, ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” NIV
I do have one final worksheet/drawing to give you. I will attach at the end of this lesson. I call it “Extensions of Your Heart”. In the middle is a red heart which represents your #1 relationship with God. You will find 7 hearts around the red middle heart. Here is where you will place your relationships, commitments, your duties and/or responsibilities. For example: If you are married, the relationship with your husband will go into the 1st heart surrounding the red heart in the middle. The next heart area would be your children and grand-children. The next heart area might be your extended family…the next your friends. Think about your relationships, about the amount of time you put into them. Not enough in some, too much in others? After you have entered your relationships you will move on to responsibilities such as a job….go on to church responsibilities and/or other places where you volunteer your time. Think about the amount of time you are putting into these also. The point is to get a handle on your life. You may find that you are doing “just fine”, or you may find that you are ”over extended” The farther away you move from the inner circle of your heart (the more people, places and things you try to pack in), the less time you will spend there.
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