We all are blessed with unique gifts and talents that God wants us to use to bless others. Yes, that includes you. You don’t have to be some special evangelist or preacher to do God’s work. If you follow Christ, you are gifted to do His work.
God often calls us to do things that don’t feel comfortable and are far from easy, and He wants to see if we’ll be obedient. Remember, in obedience there is reward. He’ll ask us to apologize to someone who hurt us even when we did nothing wrong. He’ll ask us to give our money to people we don’t even know. He’ll ask us to say something kind to a complete stranger. He expects this of us–we are called to be kind and generous.
It’s not always convenient, either. A few years ago, I wrote a children’s book about God and the relationship I share with my dog. I enjoy giving copies of my book to kids when I’m out and about. But God likes to ask me to give copies away when I’m not in the mood, so to speak. He likes to ask me to go up to people at the park, where I like to run, and give my books to kids on the playground.
When I am in the midst of trials—“wilderness” periods that He uses to test, prune, and grow me–it’s a lot harder to be obedient. I manage endocrine imbalances that can get rather severe during the winter months—with those also comes mental health imbalance. I can get rather depressed during times of sickness, especially when it drags on for months at a time.
During one bout of sickness, God asked me to go up to a couple at the park one day and give a copy of my book to their child. I wasn’t feeling it to put it mildly. I had barely enough physical energy to exercise and my emotions weren’t exactly in a friendly place. When I heard the still small voice from within tell me to go up to the little girl, I said “No way, God.” I even got irritated because I thought He was asking a lot of me given how much pain I had been in. But He kept pressing on my heart. I got in my car and began leaving the parking lot, but then that small voice got louder. I couldn’t pull out of the lot! I turned around and went back. I did so frustrated and annoyed, and I even said to God, “You better make this easy on me, Lord. I don’t even know what to say.”
Well, He heard me. As soon as I grabbed a copy of my book from the trunk, the little girl came running toward me from the playground and grabbed it out of my hand with a big smile. The parents waved from afar, we exchanged a couple quick pleasantries, and I went on my way. And, I felt good for doing what God asked me to do.
What is He asking you to do? If you’re not sure, simply ask Him. Trust me, He won’t take long to answer that prayer. God always answers unselfish prayers at lightning speed. Just be ready to do what He asks you to do, even if it feels uncomfortable.
