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What Are You Doing With What You've Been Given?Lyn Thompson, Pastoral Care, CTCA/Southwestern Regional Medical Center
Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, from the Father of lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. James 1:17 Often, when we're sick or depressed by disappointing, devastating or unexpected circumstances, we tend to forget how generous God has been to us and all that we have or even that we have purpose and can still impact the lives of others. We tend to forget that we have a Heavenly Father who delights in giving good things to His children and who never forgets us -- in fact, has our names written on the palms of His hands. If so, take a second to think about who's in your corner and how He wants your life to mirror His own. God's nature is one of generosity. He's a giver. Throughout the Bible -- His love letter to mankind -- we're told of the many gifts God gives us. While the sum of His gifts to us is too long to list here, some of them are: And God gives purposely. Through His giving, He is continually striving to reveal His nature to us and draw us to Himself through His great love, much as a lover works to draw the love of his life to himself through acts of love. He works for our good and to bring us to our highest potential -- to what He created us to be. Sometimes this means He says no to our requests because they would be to our detriment, even though we can't see that. Even in this, He gives, rather than taking from us. God also gives to us so we have a pattern of life to follow. He wants us to freely give to others what we've been given, Matt. 10:8, Luke 6:38, Acts 20:35 tell us. He desires for us to share the life and character of Christ as well as the physical benefits He gives us with a hurting world and to people in need. He wants us to carry each other's burdens and help lift people's eyes to heaven and to the God who loves them and desires to bless them. Sometimes, when we're hurting, maybe more than at any other time, the greatest gift we can give those around us is a life of courage, grace, strength and love, lived above and in spite of the circumstances through the supernatural power we receive from God alone. It's easy to live largely and give generously out of our plenty; it's harder, but, infinitely more valuable, to give generously and live mightily when everything appears to be set against us. When God created man to be His intimate companion and family member, He didn't create a back-up entity in case man failed. What He did when man failed was give. He gave of Himself to redeem man's failure and restore him to his original purpose -- that of working alongside the Almighty Sovereign God to bring heaven's blessings to earth and fulfill His plans for all of creation and all people. What we don't see of heaven on earth each day isn't the fault of a generous God who gives every good and perfect gift to His people but rather, it's the fault of men, who haven't allowed God's nature to be fully formed in them so that God's gifts can flow freely over the face of the earth, reaching into every heart and home, regardless of a person's race, color or culture. What about you ... are you a conduit for God's generosity to a world and people stalked by terror, turbulent times and uncertainty on all sides or are you an obstacle to it, a hindrance, a hoarder of blessings who will one day face God and have to answer the question, "What did you do with the life I gave you?" |
