You Have a Lot to Give!

His mercies are new every morning!

What does it take to make a real and lasting difference in this world?  I believe that there are three key elements to living a life for Christ that has eternal impact.

1.  A love for your Lord and Savior and a desire to bring Him glory.

2.  A deep compassion for your fellow man.

3.  A willingness to do whatever it takes to fulfill the callings that you discover as the Lord leads you in using the abilities and resources that He has given to you.

I believe that these three factors are most important for several reasons.  First, in order for what we do and say as we live to have a lasting (eternal) impact, there must be a spiritual element involved.  In other words, the task must be something which we believe to be our calling at that moment; and, we must have a strong desire to glorify the Lord in doing what He has called us to do.  Whether our calling is teaching a Sunday School class, building or repairing structures on a mission trip, responding with kindness to people who come across your path, being the most effective worker you can be at your job, preparing a meal, helping someone directly, or singing in the choir, all that we do is important when we do it as to the Lord and not unto men.  It we are not relating, serving, and working to glorify the Lord, then our lesser motivation will limit the effectiveness of our endeavors.  Living to bring glory to God is true, lifestyle worship, and it is our purpose for being.  (Romans 12:1 & 2)

Secondly, another key element of our motivation should be our love and concern for others, which flows out of our relationship with the Lord.  People can tell when we really care about them.  Any deeds or words that are accompanied by compassion will be used by the Lord to make an impact far greater than physical help or an emotional lift alone could make apart from that God-given compassion.  What we are able to share becomes a far greater message that speaks to the hearts of people.  The message given by acts or words of compassion accompanied by the Love of God is that we care and love people because God cares and loves them.  This lets people know that God has initiated a response to their need because He loves them and has sent an instrument of caring to them in order to demonstrate His love.

Finally, our most excellent effort is called for in whatever we are doing.  When we live our lives to glorify the Lord, it becomes our desire to really make our lives count for His Kingdom.  However, we must remember that our job is to do our best with God’s help.  He will take our efforts, indwell them with His own Spirit at work in the world, amd multiply what we are able to do or say in ways we may not expect or ever know about while on the earth.  We are not responsible for the results.  We are responsible for our love for God, our response to Jesus (repentence leading to salvation), our attitude and our growth, and giving our best.  He will take all that each of us have to give and use it to accomplish His purpose in our lives and the lives of others.

So, don’t worry about which gifts you have or wish you had or about what the results of your efforts will be.  Those things are all in God’s hands,  Whatever your circumstances, you have a LOT  to give!  Your heart, your life, your compassion, your willingness, your obedience, your encouragement, your prayers, your hopes, and your efforts to allow God to work in and through your life are the best and most important ways that you have a lot to give to make a difference in this world.  Everyone can give these things!  From a prison cell, a hospital bed, a home full of pre-schoolers, a teacher’s desk, a business, a career position, and from every life circumstance, these gifts can flow!  You have a lot to give!   Blessings and encouragement to you as you do just that!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

– post written by Cynthia A. Boyd

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Music is a gift…Worship the Giver!

Music is a gift…Worship the Giver!

The picture of a musician bowing at the cross with his guitar is a reminder to us.  God gives gifts and abilities, but our lives are never about these gifts.  We can enjoy them, and we can use them for God’s glory; but what counts in our lives is ultimately that which cannot be seen.  God looks upon our hearts.  He knows our desires, our priorities, our needs, our hurts, our struggles, and our focus.  He knows how much we truly love Him and desire to give Him glory.  He knows our moments of purest devotion and the moments when we can’t seem to keep our minds from wandering.  He knows how much our God-given gifts and talents can become a part of what we and others view as our identitiy.  But, once again, when God looks at us, He just sees our hearts.  He could have chosen any gift or ability to give to us.  Would our fundamental identity have been changed if he had given us a different set of abilities?  What if we lose our abilities at some point in life?  Does God see us as less valuable or less able to bring Him glory?

God is the giver.  In His wisdom, He chooses to give gifts, talents, and abilities to each person He has formed within the womb.  He chooses the person…He chooses the gifts….He chooses our time and place.  The very fact that God chooses all of these things makes them important.  He has invested Himself in each of us as He was creating and forming who we would be.  And yet, the Bible makes it clear that the most important thing that God sees when He looks upon us is our hearts.

It is good to use the gifts and talents God gives.  He wants us to use them and even expects it.  He wants us to develop our skills and abilities and to become the best we can be.  He wants us to experience joy and delight in using our gifts and in the journey toward using them with skill and excellence.  However, in all of our striving, let us never forget that He sees our hearts.  In Him, there is the freedom to let go of the results of our efforts.  Ribbons and trophies, certificates and compliments, honors and publicity…. these are all the fleeting types of recognition that we give to one another to recognize a job well done.  None of them matters as much as knowing that we have done our absolute best to honor God.  We were not in control of which gifts we were given, but we can give them back to Him by surrendering them to His care.  Just as Jesus surrendered His earthly life, we can allow God to make our lives (including the moments that we have honored God in using the gifts that we have been given) have eternal significance by giving them back to him in daily surrender.   If we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and do our best with the gifts we have been given, we are fulfilling Gods’ purpose in a way that far exceeds any earthly accolades.

In addition to the gifts, talents, and abilities we receive from the Lord, there is a very important element that should be present in our lives in order to allow us to use what God has given us.  This crucial element is passion!  There are people who could be phenomenal athletes, singers, poets, writers, artists, musicians, business owners, teachers, politicians, or whatever.  However, if an individual does not possess a passion for a field of endeavor, they will never do much more than dabble in it.  For example, there are people who are sitting in the pews of every church who could really be an asset as a teacher, serving on a committee, or serving in worship ministry.  However, they either are going through a season of life that prevents their service (such as caring for a loved one who is ill), or they have not yet deepened their relationship with the Lord enough to see the need for serving Him through their church, or they are specifically called to service in a para-church organization, such as a ministry to battered women, or they simply do not have the passion for a particular area of ministry that would be called for in order to maintain a commitment to serve. 

It is very important that Christians who serve and seek to bring glory to God in any kind of ministry or in any vocation first have a sense of calling to that vocation or ministry area.  Secondly, individuals who seek to glorify God through their lives and their service must have a knowledge that God has equipped them in some way through the giving of gifts and talents, which they have then developed through study, practice, the investment of their time, and taking advantage of growth opportunities such as classes, conferences and mentorship.  Finally, the third requirement for lifestyle service and ministry is to have a deep sense of passion and commitment to excellence as well as faithfulness in that area of service or career.  For many people, the passion is not the problem.  Passion is definitely present in their lives for the areas in which they feel they have been gifted for a vocational or ministry calling.  Passion is a wonderful and necessary element in using our gifts, talents, and abilities.  However, we must remember that the key to balance and to keeping a proper perspective is the knowledge that the most important thing is always what is in our hearts.  Gifts, talents, abilities, a sense of calling, and a passion for excellence in serving are all blessings from God; but they are not what God values most.   With whatever we have been given, we must love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength and seek to honor and bring glory to Him. 

Be thankful for the gifts, and worship the Giver!

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”   James 1:17

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.”   John 3:16

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Post written by C. Boyd

Note:  If this post seems familiar,  you may have seen it posted as a featured article on The Worship Community .com (filed in their “Worship Leadership” category).  It can be found there at this link:
http://www.theworshipcommunity.com/music-is-a-gift-worship-the-giver/

The article can also be found on the Worship the Rock website (worship leader forum and social network) on Travis L. Boyd’s blog, along with several other re-blogged posts from our Worshp Sounds Music blog.
http://www.worshiptherock.com/profiles/blogs/music-is-a-gift-worship-the-giver

The post was also recommended in “Weekend Links” by Worship Links in October of 2014.
http://www.worshiplinks.us/2014/10/weekend-links-80/

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

ADDITIONAL POSTS ABOUT WORSHIP:

Worship:  Definitions and Quotations

Worship…it’s all about Giving!

Worship in the New Testament

Understanding Worship

Worship is Joy!

Worship Planning and Preparation

Worship ABC’s

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Do you know Jesus?

The decision to ask Jesus to come into your heart and life as your Lord and Savior is the best decision you could ever make!  The one true God is ready to give you forgiveness and eternal life as soon as you understand your need for Him and believe on the name of His only Son, Jesus, for your salvation.  Here’s a blog page link to help you find the answers to your questions about Jesus.  http://www.worshipsounds.wordpress.com/do-you-know-jesus/