Something to Give

“You have something to give.

You have much to offer.

You have gifts placed inside you.

You, yes you...we need you.”

Loren Thornburg

The key to a gift is using it. A gift is a tool to be used to help others. A tool is something we hold to carry out a particular function. We use scissors to help us cut things, we put on glasses to help us read, and use a pen to help us write. The scissors don’t do any good if we just hold them, glasses don’t help us read sitting on top of our head, and a pen doesn’t write if we don’t put it to the paper. Have you ever worked really hard to do something only to find that a tool to make it much easier was with you the whole time. Like having scissors on your desk and trying to tear with your hands a straight line on your paper. It is not enough to simply hold these tools and not use them in their appropriate place and way, nor is it enough for us to simply hold the tools and gifts we have been given and not use them. First, we must know that we each hold gifts that we have been given specifically to help. You have something to give and something to offer! We need you!

“Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people!”

1 Corinthians 12:7 MSG

We are promised gifts! It says, ‘everyone gets in on it.’ Everyone...that means even you.

That means whether you see it or not you have been given, by the Holy Spirit, something that you can do that will show others who God is. Often I find myself simply holding my gift instead of using it because I don’t know that what I am holding was given for a purpose, was given for more than me. I forget that I don’t just have something, but I have something to give. I am the one holding the pen wondering why no one is writing or writing and sharing with no one. Lets don’t just hold our tools, lets use them, knowing that whatever our tool is it has a purpose and a need for more than just you. Others will find more of who God is when you find you have something to give.

Truth ISN'T Relative

“Don’t believe everything you think”

Thomas Kida

“Don’t believe everything you think.” I saw this on a bumper sticker and found that it is a whole book by Thomas Kida. The premise of the book is that we are so easily mislead and therefore mistaken in our thinking. We can misperceive things that happen, we can want to believe something that is not true, and our memories can be inaccurate. How true I find this is when I think about how many times I have found something that I thought was true to no longer be true, but rather that I was mistaken in my thinking. We have all had many things like this. The rumor you heard that you found wasn’t true, the first impression you had of someone that as you got to know them wasn’t true of them, even the way that you see yourself to be so different than what others see. I’m sure you can think of many things that you how changed your mind on how you see them or think about them. This is not to say that we shouldn’t think because it can’t be trusted but rather that we should not take our thoughts as TRUTH, knowing that we can be mislead by them. For truth isn’t what you think, what someone says, or what culture believes, but rather what actually is true.

“You judge me with your human limitations, but I am not judging anyone. And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone--I have with me the Father who sent me.”

John 8:15-16 NLT

There is an emphasis on the search for truth and correct knowledge. It is understanding what is actually true and not just relatively true. Here in John Jesus is telling the people about what is true. He reminds them that their thinking has limitations. As does ours. We believe lies about ourselves, we believe gossip about others, we believe things that are not based on correct knowledge. Even the brightest person on earth has limitations and faulty tendencies to comprehend and interpret truth. Yet, God is true, as Jesus claims in verse 26, meaning He loves the truth, speaks the truth and is the truth. And Jesus has the Father in Him and has come to be Truth. Not relative truth, but the truth. The Truth that sets us free from having to rely on our human limitations, but allows us to partner with Him who is true and have access to this truth, to Him. So we no longer have to rely on ourselves or our thinking, but can depend on Him, on the Holy Spirit that is given to us to lead us into all truth. So, don’t believe everything you think, but everything that you hear from God.

In Your Custody

“Let nothing prevent you, let nothing keep you, let nothing deter you from that which you’ve been given to care for.”

Loren Thornburg

We have each been given someone(s) or something(s) to care for. We’ve been given custody in the general sense of the word, which is protective care or guardianship of someone or thing. For some this may be in the more common use of this term in that you have been given custody of children to care for, but for many this includes our family, our friends, our work, our dreams, our callings, our ministries, and ourselves. So it is up to us to guard, protect, keep, and care for these things that we have been given. The problem is that it’s never easy. There will be difficulties and challenges big and small that often take us past the point that we think we can or want to persevere. It can be so easy to lose sight of that which we have been called to care for with the amount of care with which we have been called to care for it. We forget it is a gift, we forget we have been called specifically, we forget we have been given custody. In looking back at the common use of this term as parents fight to be able to care for their kids so we need to fight for the things we have been given in our custody and in our care. What’s in your custody?

“This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But, I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end. So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It’s as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.” 2 Timothy 1: 11-14 MSG

Paul is reminding Timothy of the great call he has been given though he finds himself facing trouble. Often I find that in the midst of trouble I am ready to abandon my call, doubting that I am adequate, believing that the challenges I face must mean I’ve gone the wrong way. The Message is the reason Paul has a call but it’s also the reason that he finds trouble. Sometimes I think we forget that God’s calling doesn’t mean easy sailing. Often when we follow as we believe He has called us to we come to a road block and immediately question God and that which He has called us to. Instead let us follow the encouragement and example of Paul. Let’s keep at our work which is faith and love rooted in Christ. Guard this work! It’s been given to you! It’s in your custody! So next time you face a road block rather than throwing your hands in the air in doubt throw them to the Spirit in surrender who works in you!!!

Tainted Evidence

“Don’t look outside to determine what’s inside.”

Loren Thornburg

So often we look to results to determine the value we have to offer. We put our worth in the hands of others. As a coach I found this to be true for myself. The record of our team largely determined whether I was a good coach or not. Essentially I put my worth in the hands of teenagers. We are constantly looking for evidence to support whether we are talented or not. We look to how many facebook friends we have, if we are married or dating, grades, accomplishments of our kids, success of our jobs, how much money we make, and on and on. Unfortunately our evidence is usually tainted. We may not be seeing it as it really is, have all the facts, or be looking in the right places. Although, a talented coach will often have evidence of a good record to support the talent one has it is not always true. Facebook friends are not a true measure of friendship, our bank account does not determine what we have to offer this world, and there is much more to the story than your marital status. It is never a good idea to ride that roller coaster of ups and downs of one day finding worth and the next day not, based on the outcomes of the day. If you’re looking outside to find evidence of what you have inside you’re going to be left with a view tainted. Don’t look out to determine what’s in.

“Moses kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”

Hebrews 11:27 NLT

We are going to get worn down fast if we are looking to the world to determine our worth. Even if you find it proves you worthy it will never be enough and you will miss out on true worth. In Hebrews we get a snap shot of many of the ways Moses lived out his faith in God. He was looking ahead to God past the outcomes of his day to the “one who is invisible.” It’s the only way that we can get off that roller coaster ride and keep right on going in the midst of hard times when the evidence is not pointing in your favor. Follow the example of Moses and keep right on going in the things God has called you to even though you find no evidence that says you should, no reason to believe you can, and no proof that says you are worthy for the “one who is invisible” calls and says You are worth it, You are worthy!!

Enlarge the Picture

“Don’t miss what could be for what is now”

I wish more things were like touching a hot stove. You immediately know that it is not a good idea when you feel the heat beyond what your fingers can bear. It’s very clear where the pain came from and how to avoid that danger in the future. Not everything is like that. Many actions don’t have consequences until days, weeks, months or years later. It’s hard to see that they should be avoided without the clear immediate pain or consequence. So we have to take a step back and take a broader look at what is going on. We need to enlarge the picture. When we do this we see more of what is going on. It’s so easy to get so focused on what is going on in our world in the moment, that we miss the effects it could have on others beyond this moment. Let’s take a step back and enlarge the picture that we may see the greater view beyond this moment.

“But God’s plan was seen from the beginning of creation…”

Mark 10:6 NLT

Jesus got all kinds of questions like the one He was responding to here about divorce. The disciples answered it with a small picture response of the legal procedure yet Jesus enlarges the picture to the heart of God and His plan for creation to be united. Often it’s easy to look at the events of my life and become confused at what I see, yet there is a bigger picture. There is a God who has had a plan since the beginning of creation. Not only can I enlarge my picture to see there may there be something that I don’t see going on in the midst of my confusion, but I can also enlarge my picture of my God. The circumstance may look like God is bringing pain, but the bigger picture is that our God is love, good, and faithful. Enlarge your picture to see the God who is bigger than what you see.