What Will I Do with What I’ve Been Given?

In 1 Peter 4:10 I read, “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God." (GNT)

It’s important to know what purpose and destiny God created me for.

In order to fulfill my destiny, I must first recognize the gifts God has given me to use. These gifts are basically the cards I’m dealt in life. 

They include the things I can’t control, like my parents, nationality, and my race. They also include my SHAPE— my spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make me uniquely me.

I’m responsible for making the most of these God-given gifts. But I’m not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give me. In other words, if I am not artistically gifted, I’m not expected to paint pictures like Rembrandt. If I’m not mechanically minded, God likely won’t call me to bless an elderly neighbor with oil changes.

But God does expect me to use my own gifts for the good of others: “Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God” (1 Peter 4:10 GNT).

When I get to heaven, God isn’t going to compare me with anyone else, but he will compare me with myself. What did I do with what I was given? What could I have done if I had trusted God a little bit more? Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (NIV). 

The Old Testament tells the story of Esther, a Hebrew woman who became queen and rescued her people. She had three assets that God gave her to fulfill her destiny. She was intelligent, physically beautiful, and had an engaging personality. Because of these qualities, “Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her . . . She won [the king’s] favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:15-17 NIV).

God gave Esther specific gifts for a purpose. In the same way, God has given me gifts for a purpose. And just like Esther, I have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts — not for selfish uses but for the good of others.

God used Esther’s gifts to save the Hebrew people from a potentially murderous king. How might God use my gifts to benefit others?

In summary, it’s important to know what purpose and destiny God created me for. To fulfill my destiny, I must first recognize the gifts God has given me to use. These gifts are basically the cards I’m dealt in life. They include the things I can’t control, and also include my SHAPE. These are the things that make me uniquely me. I’m responsible for making the most of these God-given gifts. But I’m not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give me. God expects me to use my own gifts for the good of others. When I get to heaven, God isn’t going to compare me with anyone else, but he will compare me with myself. What did I do with what I was given? What could I have done if I had trusted God a little bit more? God has given me gifts for a purpose. I have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts — not for selfish uses but for the good of others. So, I need to consider how might God use my gifts to benefit others?

My abilities should be faithfully used in serving others; none are for my own exclusive enjoyment. I don't have the right to use them as I please. I have gifts, I need to find and use them. Even as I seek to discover what they are, if I see a need, seek to meet it. I may end up finding gifts in areas I might not have guessed.  Fulfilling my destiny requires recognizing the unique way God has created me. God has given me gifts for a purpose. I have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts. A key to living a productive and fulfilling life is to use my gifts to serve God by serving others.  

Being Faithful With the Work I’ve Been Given

In Luke 16:10-11 I read, “For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (TLB)

If I think I’m going to be bored in heaven, think again.

I won’t be sitting around on a cloud doing nothing in heaven. God wired me and knows what I’m interested in. All my hobbies, skills, and talents come from him. He shaped me with my own spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. God didn’t make me extraordinarily unique just for Earth. He’s going to use my shape in eternity.

I will work in heaven, but here’s the difference between work in heaven and work on Earth: In heaven, I’m guaranteed to enjoy my work. I won’t experience any heartache or stress over my work. It will be meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling all the time. I’ll have my dream job forever!

While I may not yet know what my specific roles or responsibilities will be in heaven. I do know that they will be based on how faithful I am with the roles and responsibilities God has given me on Earth. 

God is watching and testing me. Life is a temporary assignment, and God wants to see how responsible, faithful, and trustworthy I am with the responsibilities I have now.

What am I doing with what I’ve been given? If I make the most of what I’ve been given, then God is going to give me more in heaven. I’ll make it into heaven because of God’s grace, but my rewards and responsibilities once I get there will be based on how faithfully I served God on Earth.

The Bible explains: “For unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?” (Luke 16:10-11 TLB).

God is watching to see how I manage my finances, time, relationships, health, and opportunities. 

The way I manage my money is a test of my faithfulness, and it’s going to help determine what I do in heaven. If God can’t trust me with worldly wealth—if I’m always in debt, I can’t afford to tithe, and I’m not generous—then what do I think he’s going to trust me with in eternity?

God is watching how I handle my responsibilities too—not because he wants to make me feel guilty but because he wants me to enjoy all the wonderful things heaven has to offer.

When I choose faithfulness in everything God has entrusted to me on Earth, then I will be entrusted with much more in heaven.

In summary, I won’t be bored in heaven. I won’t be sitting around doing nothing. God wired me and knows what I’m interested in. All my hobbies, skills, and talents come from him. He shaped me with my own spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. God didn’t just make me extraordinarily unique just for Earth. He’s going to use my shape in eternity. I will work in heaven, but here’s the difference: In heaven, I’m guaranteed to enjoy my work. I won’t experience any heartache or stress. It will be meaningful, enjoyable, and fulfilling all the time. While I may not yet know what my specific roles or responsibilities will be, I do know that they will be based on how faithful I am/was with the roles and responsibilities God gave me to do on Earth. God is watching and testing me. Life is a temporary assignment, and God wants to see how responsible, faithful, and trustworthy I am with the responsibilities I have now. So what am I doing with what I’ve been given? If I make the most of what I’ve been given, then God is going to give me more in heaven. I make it into heaven because of God’s grace, but my rewards and responsibilities will be based on how faithfully I served God on Earth. God is watching to see how I manage my finances, time, relationships, health, and opportunities on earth. The way I manage my money is a test of my faithfulness, and it’s going to help determine what I do in heaven. If God can’t trust me with worldly wealth, then what do I think he’s going to trust me with in eternity? God is watching how I handle my responsibilities too—not because he wants to make me feel guilty but because he wants me to enjoy all the wonderful things heaven has to offer. When I choose faithfulness in everything God has entrusted to me on Earth, then I will be entrusted with much more in heaven.

My integrity is often put on the line in money matters. God calls us to be honest even in small details I could easily ignore. Heaven's riches are far more valuable than earthly wealth. But if we are not trustworthy with our money here (no matter how much or little I have), I will be unfit to handle the vast riches of God's Kingdom. See that I maintain my integrity in all matters, whether big or small.

What Great Dreams Are Made Of

In Matthew 6:22-23 I read, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness.” (NIV)

I shape my dreams, and then my dreams shape me. If I don’t have a dream for my life, then I don’t have any definition for life.

So many people today are confused about their identity. In fact, our society is having a collective identity crisis. People are asking: “Who am I?” “Where did I come from?” “Where am I going?” “What am I supposed to be doing?” “Does my life matter?” “What gives my life significance?” “Is there any reason for it all?” Those questions shape their dreams, and those dreams just feed into the identity confusion.

The only way to have a clear definition for my life is to have God’s dream for it. If I don’t, I won’t know who I am or who God wants me to be. I’ll always be asking myself these questions. I’ll doubt what I’m doing and why I’m doing it; I’ll wonder if what I do has any meaning.

My dreams define me—so I’ve got to make sure that I have the right dream! And the only way to know I have the right dream is to find out what God’s dream is for my life.

Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness” (Matthew 6:22-23 NIV).

When I have great vision, I see past what is in front of me to the long-term—even to eternity. A great dream is born of an eternal perspective and faith in God’s good plan for my life. A short vision will define a small dream. But a long vision will define an impactful, meaningful dream.

So, I need to choose my dream wisely. A dream based on God’s vision for my life will make a difference in how well I live out my purpose. And it will also point others to God and his plan, the only way to find fullness of life.

In summary, I shape my dreams, and then my dreams shape me. If I don’t have a dream, then I don’t have any definition for life. So many are confused about their identity. Questions shape their dreams, and those dreams just feed into the identity confusion. The only way to have a clear definition for my life is to have God’s dream for it. If I don’t, I won’t know who I am or who God wants me to be. I’ll always be asking myself these questions. I’ll doubt what I’m doing and why I’m doing it; I’ll wonder if what I do has any meaning. My dreams define me, I’ve got to make sure that I have the right dream! The only way to know is to find out what God’s dream is for my life.  When I have great vision, I see past what is in front of me to the long-term. A great dream is born of an eternal perspective and faith in God’s good plan for my life. So choose wisely. A dream based on God’s vision for my life will make a difference in how well I live out my purpose. It will also point others to God and his plan.

Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and to see the world from his point of view. But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interests, and goals block that vision. Serving God is the best way to restore it. A "healthy" eye is on that is fixed on God. 

How to Honor God with My Body

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 I read, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (NLT)

“Sanctification” means to dedicate something for God’s purpose. I can sanctify anything. I can say, “God, I sanctify this car; I dedicate it to you for your purposes. God, I sanctify this home; I dedicate it to you for your purposes.”

God wants me to dedicate my body to him. The Bible says, “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT).

So how do I honor God with my body? It’s simple: I take care of it.

“Sanctify your body” basically means “get in shape.” If I want God to use me, I’ve got to get in shape. Because the better shape I’m in, the more energy I’ll have and the more God can use me.

Psalm 119:73 says, “You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed your laws” (TLB). God set up the principles of good health. He doesn’t just want me to have a pure heart. He wants my body to be in shape so he can use me more effectively.

Some aren’t getting enough sleep, and need to get proper rest. In this case, the most spiritual thing to do is take a nap!

Some need to work on food intake. In 1 Corinthians 6:13, the Bible compares overeating to sexual immorality: “It may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!” (The Message). I may never think of cheating on my wife, but God says that, like sexual immorality, overeating is a sin against the body. God is serious about wanting me to control what I eat!

Some have the wrong attitude toward our bodies. Neglect it, reject it (“God, I want a different one!”), or try to perfect it (the way some bodybuilders might worship their bodies). Instead, God wants me to respect my body and protect it. Why? Because God created it, Jesus paid for it, and the Holy Spirit lives in it.

So what’s my motivation to get in shape? The Bible says, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize” (1 Corinthians 9:25 NLT). My motivation is to please God.

Athletes get in shape just to win an award. But I will have an eternal reward when I make the most of what I was given and take care of my body so that God can use me more effectively here on Earth.

In summary, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in me and was given to me by God? I do not belong to myself, for God bought me with a high price. So honor God with my body.” “Sanctification” means to dedicate something for God’s purpose. God wants me to dedicate my body to him. So how do I honor God with my body? I take care of it. “Sanctify your body” basically means “get in shape.” If I want God to use me, I’ve got to get in shape. The better shape I’m in, the more energy I’ll have and the more God can use me. God set up the principles of good health. He doesn’t just want me to have a pure heart. He wants my body to be in shape so he can use me more effectively. The Bible compares overeating to sexual immorality: overeating is a sin against the body. God wants me to respect my body and protect it. Jesus paid for it, and the Holy Spirit lives in it. So what’s my motivation to get in shape? My motivation is to please God. I will have an eternal reward when I make the most of what I was given and take care of my body so that God can use me more effectively,

Many believe that they have the right to do whatever they want with their own bodies. Although they think this is freedom, they are really enslaved to their own desires. When I became a Christian, the Holy Spirit came to live in me. Therefore, I no longer own my body. That I have been "bought with a high prices" refers to slaves purchased at an auction. Christ's death freed me from sin but also obligates me to his service. If I live in a building owned by someone else, I try not to violate the building's rules.  Because my body belongs to God, I must not violate his standards for living.