I spent this past weekend with our Church Confirmation Kids at a retreat at the Crossroads Camp and Retreat Center in NJ. We had a great time. We went exploring and hiking along with all the other things you do when you go camping. Can anyone say s’mores? Yum!
Our Bible lessons during the retreat were about empowered servanthood. I shared with the kids how God gives us spiritual gifts and blessings to be a blessing to others. He has uniquely gifted each of us to fulfill the purpose for which he created us. But what happens when don’t use the gifts he has given to us? That is a topic I would like to explore this week.
The first thing that happens when we fail to use our gifts is that we miss out. God gives us gifts to live fulfilling lives. Last week, I shared with you that a fulfilling life does not come by acquiring more things. The truth is that fulfillment comes from putting to work the things we already have in the way that God intends. The ironic truth is that fulfillment happens when we empty ourselves for others.
Self-absorption and apathy hinder us from fulfillment. We think that fulfillment comes from filling our lives with more. But the thing is that fulfillment comes from pouring out ourselves more. When we are faithful, giving ourselves God’s purposes, he will give us more. More than we realize! Not necessarily material things, but greater things.
gramielove says
Today has been a day of stumbling on repentance epiphanies. Yours is the third devotional to land on some of my blind spots:
Self-absorption … stuck inward, not pouring out freely
Apathy … slow to act with passion & joy
Each devotional landed on a different blind spot with a specific signature meant for me. You used the covenant reference “blessed to be a blessing”. That is the acronym on my license plate. I take that covenant seriously, but still not very effectively.
I believe God orchestrated this trifecta of sacred ahah’s for me today. The truth and kindness of it all has me in cleansing tears.
Thank you for sharing these words today. They blessed me. I pray I can do the same.