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.  

What’s at the Center of My Life?

In Matthew 22:37-38 I read, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” (NIV)

God wants to be at the very center of my life. Not on the edge, and not just a segment. The God of the universe—the God who made and loves me—wants to be the hub of my heart and the axis of my existence.

Here’s another way to look at it: God wants to have a love relationship with me.

The Bible says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38 NIV).

The truth is, I’m going to center my life around something. I may center it around my career, family, or hobbies. I may center it around making money or being popular.

But putting anything besides God at the center of my life is an idol. Exodus 20:3-4 says, “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea” (NLT).

How do I know when something has taken center stage in my life instead of God? It’s simple. When God’s not at the center, I start to worry and stress out; I get fearful. These are the warning lights that God is no longer the nucleus of my heart.

In contrast, how can I tell when my life is centered on God? I’m at peace. I stop worrying. The Bible says, “A sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Philippians 4:7 The Message).

Ask yourself this: “What’s going to be the center for the rest of my life?”  It’s the most important thing I will ever have to decide.

In summary, God wants to be at the very center of my life. Not on the edge, and not just a segment. The God of the universe who made and loves me, wants to be the hub of my heart and the axis of my existence. God wants to have a love relationship with me. I’m going to center my life around something. Putting anything besides God at the center of my life is an idol. Exodus 20:3-4 reminds me, “You must not have any other god but me. You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything...”. When something has taken center stage in my life instead of God, I start to worry and stress out; I get fearful. These are the warning lights that God is no longer the nucleus. When my life is centered on God, I’m at peace and I stop worrying. So what’s going to be the center for the rest of my life?  It’s the most important thing I will ever have to decide.

Jesus said that if I truly love God and my neighbor, I will naturally keep the commandments. This is looking at God's law positively. Rather than worrying about all we should not do, I should concentrate on all I can do to show my love for God and others. 

It’s Smart to Be Patient

In Proverbs 14:29 I read, “It’s smart to be patient.” (CEV)

My life has an ebb and flow. Sometimes God wants me to move quickly, but sometimes he wants me to slow down. As Proverbs 14:29 says, “It’s smart to be patient” (CEV).

First, I should always move slowly when I don’t have all the facts. Our culture worships impulsiveness and spontaneity. It tells me that spur-of-the-moment, “gut” decisions are the right ones.

I also hear repeatedly that I should “follow my heart.” But the Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV).

Feelings often lead me in the wrong direction. So I need to rely on the truth outside of myself.

The Bible is clear about that: “What a shame—yes, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!” (Proverbs 18:13 TLB).

So when I don’t yet have all the facts, slow down. Don’t rely on my gut, heart, or feelings. Take the time to look for objective truth outside of myself.

Second, move slowly when I’m hurt, angry, or depressed. When I’m upset, I tend to react and retaliate rather than acting wisely.

James 1:19 says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (NIV).

Do you see the rhythm in that verse? It says quick, slow, slow. If I’m quick to listen and slow to speak, I’ll automatically be slow to become angry. But if I’m slow to listen and quick to speak, I’ll be quick to become angry.

Proverbs 15:18 tells me what to do instead: “Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments” (CEV).

Proverbs 15:28 says it this way: “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking” (NLT). In other words, godly people put their minds in gear before their mouths.

Sometimes I’m going to feel angry, hurt, or depressed. That’s just part of life. But the next time that happens, slow down. Proverbs 14:29 says, “Patience leads to abundant understanding, but impatience leads to stupid mistakes” (CEB).

Don’t make quick decisions that I’m going to regret.

And the same is true when I don’t have all the facts. Instead of just “following my heart,” take the time to slow down and make a careful decision.

Remember: It’s smart to be patient.

In summary, life has an ebb and flow. Sometimes God wants me to move quickly, but sometimes he wants me to slow down. No matter if its quick or slow, It’s smart to be patient. First, I should always move slowly when I don’t have all the facts. Our culture worships impulsiveness and spontaneity. It tells me that spur-of-the-moment, “gut” decisions are the right ones. I also hear repeatedly that I should “follow my heart.” But as God’s Word tells me, “The heart is deceitful above all things,” Feelings often lead me in the wrong direction. So I need to rely on the truth outside of myself. Also God’s Word says, how stupid!—to decide before knowing the facts!”. So when I don’t yet have all the facts, slow down. Don’t rely on my gut, heart, or feelings. Take the time to look for objective truth outside of myself. Second, move slowly when I’m hurt, angry, or depressed. When I’m upset, I tend to react and retaliate rather than acting wisely. James reminds me to “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry”. If I’m quick to listen and slow to speak, I’ll automatically be slow to become angry. In addition “losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments”. “The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking”. “put your mind in gear before their your mouth. Sometimes I’m going to feel angry, hurt, or dep, ressed. That’s just part of life. The next time that happens, slow down. Proverbs 14:29 says, “Patience leads to abundant understanding, but impatience leads to stupid mistakes”. Don’t make quick decisions that I’m going to regret. The same is true when I don’t have all the facts. Instead of just “following my heart,” take the time to slow down and make a careful decision. Remember: It’s smart to be patient.

A quick temper can be like a fire out of control. It can burn me and everyone else in its path. Anger divides people. It pushes me into hasty decisions that only cause bitterness and guilt. Yet anger, in itself, is not wrong. Anger can be a legitimate reaction to injustice and sin. When I feel myself getting angry, look for the cause. Am I reacting to an evil situation that I'm going to set right? Or am I responding selfishly to a personal insult?  I pray that God will help me control my quick temper, channeling my feelings into effective action and conquering selfish anger through humility and repentance.