Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Eph. 3:20-21)
Less Guilt, More Love
If you’re a parent, you no doubt have beautiful dreams for your children. You want the best for them. Before our children are born, we imagine what they will physically look like and what it will feel like to hold them in our arms. Before Tayden (our son) was born, I imagined he would be an All-American athlete that had Ivy League grades but spent all of his free time helping the homeless in soup kitchens…not too lofty right? 🙂 As our babies grow, we start to wonder what they’ll become and where they’ll go–there’s no limit to our imagination for our kids.
Of course at times, these beautiful beings inevitably disappoint us and do things we never thought they’d do. They go places they shouldn’t go. And then sometimes, they knock our socks off and do far more than we ever thought they would. We get a glimpse of God’s grand design for them and begin to realize who He created them to be.
When that happens, we do everything in our power to help them achieve their goals. We drive them to lessons, take them to practice and invest in their passion pursuits, knowing they’ll be most fulfilled when using their God-given gifts and talents.
If only that kind of nurturing continued through the rest of their lives. Unfortunately as adults, the life-giving encouragement we once received as children gets pushed aside, especially in our local church, because someone needed to fill a slot. Instead of serving out of our personal calling and the design God has for us, we end up feeling frustrated and fatigued.
I have a friend that moved away and joined a new church. He wanted to serve so he spoke with a leader. He asked him to work on the Communications Team helping design and put out the weekly newsletter. Not knowing anything about graphics and absolutely hating working with computers, he explained his reservations.“No problem,” he said. “We’ll train you.” Famous last words.
In short, it was a disaster. After several months, everyone felt frustrated. The leader was too embarrassed to tell him how awful he was doing, and he resented him for not listening in the first place. Eventually, he called it quits and went into the area of his gifting instead. In that place, the ministry and he both flourished.
Our Heavenly Father is the ultimate parent who knows in advance what we were meant to do. The plans He has are filled with unimaginable adventure and purpose. Our story is for His glory, and He has more in store for us than we can fathom.
Thought For Today
Are you serving God using your unique giftings? Do you sense you’re fulfilling God’s design for your life? If not, what critical decisions do you need to make?
Action Steps
Bible: What is God showing me? What am I going to do about it?
Bless: Serve one person through word, action, or gift today.
Join us each morning as some C3ers discuss the daily readings from Made For More. Friday’s Childhood Dreams Crash & Burn.
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