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Friday, March 13, 2015
Though darkness is upon us, be encouraged
These are tough times and they seem to be getting worse. Many people are wondering what God would have them do. I will say that nothing worth attaining comes without the temptation of despair in some form. When you are on the verge of walking into your calling, of doing what the Lord wants you to do, there will be satan’s temptation that you are not worthy, whispering in your ear “what if” or “this will befall you.” This kind of temptation can paralyze and prevent if you give in to it. Remember 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” We are, as Paul writes in Ephesians 6 to open our mouths boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. Yes you can!
The Lord has formed your most inward parts and wove you in your mother’s womb and as Psalm 139:14, says, “I will praise you; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are they works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” You are called by the Lord right where you are. As in 1 Corinthians 7:23-24, “You are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherin he is called, therein abide with God.” Yes, do what you do unto God for He is the author and finisher of your faith. So what you do, do unto him and you will find joy in it. So many people put so much time into “finding” their “calling” that they are paralyzed in “doing.” There, once again is that temptation of despair.
At one point in my life, nothing seemed to be going well. There wasn’t much work. It seemed that my wheels were spinning, but I wasn’t going anywhere. My wife gave me this verse in Proverbs 18:16, “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.” At that point, things were so bad that I wasn’t sure what the Lord really wanted me to do. But I did have a God-given gift as said in James 1:17, “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.” Mine is a gift of communication, specifically, writing. Out of that The Daily Jot was birthed. But there was much more to come.
I also have been blessed with a gift for coaching–whether sports or business or personal concerns. Bring the gift of writing and of coaching together and it is even more powerful. These are not only things that some would say I am good at, they are things I also love to do. For God knows you better than anyone and he knows what you love to do. But there is this little two letter word “do.” Praying is your first step to doing, but prayers are often not complete until you act. As James wrote in 1:25, “But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” Look around you. There is a lot to be done. And be encouraged for God hasn’t left you without the tools, the gifts, to do it. Take charge of your life in service to the Lord!
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
For God’s Glory Alone Ministries thanks Bill Wilson and www.dailyjot.com
