Hal has been teaching a series called Game Plan the past few weeks that takes a look at God's plan for our lives. Unfortunately, some of us won't even take a break from our routines to ask God for direction, or to examine how he's wired us because we've subconsciously disqualified ourselves.
We disqualify ourselves from exploring God's will for our lives when we compare ourselves to the Super-Christian-Woman we might have in our mind's eye. You know, the woman who seems to embody the Proverbs 31 lady, the one who seems to have it all together, all the time. For me, my Super-Christian-Woman lives in a third world country, among the poorest of the poor, doesn't covet Nine West boots like I do, doesn't sweat the superficial stuff, and doesn't get flustered (every night) when she realizes she has to cook dinner, as if it were some top secret surprise.
Your Super-Christian-Woman could be the mom of five children who manages to make it to church on time, or that friend of yours who works full-time but still finds time to volunteer at a crisis pregnancy center. Your Super-Christian-Woman could even be you--in five years, when you're not as tired, or stressed, when the demands of work let up, or when the kids get to college. It can be easy to imagine God using you in the great, big, Later, when your gifts are better developed, when you've received more healing from God, when there's more of this, when there's less of that, when you're...
different.
But, the truth is that God is a God of the present. He calls himself the "I Am," and is a Master Craftsman at fulfilling his will in the here and now, exactly where life finds you.
So, if this fits you, stop disqualifying yourself from exploring God's will for your life! Let Him take what you have--it may seem average or even quite messy, but He has filled you with purpose and eagerly awaits your move in exploring it with you.
Only days before Jesus was crucified, he was reclining at dinner with friends. A woman came in the room, broke an expensive jar of perfume and anointed his head and his feet in an act of worship. Many there didn't understand what she was doing and began to rebuke her for "wasting" such an extravagant gift on this gesture. Jesus defended her,
"Leave her alone. Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing...
She did what she could...
I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." Mark 14:3-10
No matter where you are in life, or where you've been, God has a unique plan for you that he desires to fulfill. He longs for our participation, though, and that begins with seeking Him. If you've been disqualifying yourself, take some time to identify your excuses and then ask God to help you release them to Him.
After all, God's not calling us to become the Super-Christian-Woman we've got tucked away in our minds. He's simply asking us for relationship with Him, for obedience, and that one day, people might say of us
"She did what she could."
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Want a practical application step? Email gifts@halmayer.com for a free spiritual gifts test where you can explore God's unique thumbprint on your life. Be sure to come to church this Sunday to hear Hal teach on how to discern God's leading in your life.
