In order to take up our lives we must first lay them down. God makes it simple every time for us. If we want to move forward in our lives we must recognize that our lives are not our own. It is only then that we are able to take on the many things He has for us. On the road to coming to this realization we will consistently face the challenges that make laying our lives down before Him so difficult. The things that keep us from freely giving our lives over to God are called strongholds. These strongholds in our lives stunt our creative abilities. They keep us stagnant and halted in our lives. God wants us to do all He has planned for us, but we must begin to recognize these strongholds and lay them down. When we lay each part of our life down before Him big things start to happen and the enemy starts to lose his hold on us. We can find strength in His love for us and trust that laying our lives down is exactly what we must do to see the path He has for us. When we take this reality one day at a time we will have the energy we need to oppose the conformity of the world.
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
John 10:17-18 NIV
Our gifts are varied and many. We have all been blessed with unique talents and each came from the Lord. We all grow up with something we have a natural propensity to. The world’s answer to this is to exploit that talent for gain. Instead we should recognize the God given gift and take it to Him. This is how we learn how to use it for what He has given it to us for. When we follow the world’s way of cultivating our talents, oftentimes we exploit it to the point of burn out. We lose ourselves in the midst of the gaining and miss the fulfillment of why God placed it in us. The world teaches us that our talents can be used to make provision for ourselves and thus we place our focus and trust on ourselves rather than God. God is who we must trust for our provision and thus the cultivation of our gifts. This will ensure our provision each day and make a way for His will. Which will make us whole in ways the world never could. Let us take life one day at a time to grow our trust in God for the things He has given us. (Read verse 8-11 to see some of the gifts that are given.)
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 NIV
Considerations for your planner:
- Do you see God as simple or complicated? Take a moment to write down how you see Him.
- What are the gifts and talents that come to you naturally? Write them down and ask God to help you use them.
A Story of Exploiting Talents:
I have so many things I am passionate about. I have been given so many talents. When I finally left the corporate world I went straight into figuring out all the things I was good at and trying to leverage them for what was next in my life.
I rushed into creating ways to turn my talents into money making ventures. I looked to the world to guide me. I hit overwhelm really quick. It wasn’t too long after hitting overwhelm that I then became consumed with pride. I was determined to make it. Failure was not an option.
I finally realized I could not keep up the impossible act of trying to turn my talents into monetary payouts. It was exhausting and so unfulfilling. I started to resent my talents. Until I began to take them to God. He slowed me down and opened my eyes. I still have a tendency to want to get ahead of myself and that is when He reminds me to take today and do what I can. He helps me everytime.
- Anonymous
Strengthen the Christian Planner Family by sharing your experiences. We'd love to hear a story about God's work in your life. Use the form linked below to submit your story.
