An Urge to Blog

It is quite strange, but I was overcome with an urge to blog about something; and that is the strange part. I just have an urge to write about something, nothing specific. Actually, if I am going to be honest with you, I have absolutely no idea at this point what I am going to write about. Oh, by the way, this is just a little secret for those of you interested in how I come up with what I put in my book: it’s pretty much just like what I am doing right now. I start out writing about absolutely nothing and eventually arrive at something meaningful. This time is slightly different, though. This time I have this leading in my spirit to write, and so I am going to.

Perhaps I am writing for one of you reading this. Perhaps I am writing this so that I can learn something through introspection. I honestly do not know yet. What I do know is that I am writing for a purpose, and this purpose, whatever it should be, was already in the mind of God before I started writing. I know that God has purpose for what I write, because it was him who gave me the ability to write in the first place. He gave me the ability to write and he develops my ability as I put it to use. Certainly, my intention in putting my ability in writing, and all my abilities for that matter, to use is to follow God’s leading and bring glory to his name. There is no use in using any of my abilities unless they are used unto God.

It is quite convicting to look back and assess the amount of time I have spent using my abilities for something other than giving them completely back to God. There are so many times that I simply don’t put the abilities God has gifted me with to good use, let alone the times that I completely profane my gifts whenever I am led away into sin. What God has gifted me with is meant to be entirely and immensely focused on him. God has gifted me with abilities, not so that I could spend them on myself, but so that I could spend them on his kingdom. Yet, there are so many times when I am not even aware of how I am using my gifts for God. There are countless occasions in my experience where using my gifts for God are not even a thought in my mind.

Take for example my trip to the Calgary Stampede on Sunday (ok, side note, I absolutely love the stampede. I feel like I was meant to be a cowboy. I’ve been listening to country music all week. ok, back to the blog). I had an absolutely amazing time at the Stampede. There were games and attractions and the coolest Grandstand show ever. There was tons of sweets and goodies, country music, live entertainment. There was everything imaginable to be distracted and entertained. I have to say, though, while I was at the Stampede it didn’t even occur to me to be using my gifts for God right then and there. It wasn’t even that this was the last thought on my mind. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind to begin with. I was much more focused on getting my beef on a bun and seeing the chucks than using my gifts for God. Can you relate at all?

Don’t get me wrong; I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a good time. However, I know that everything that I have in this life, everything from my possessions to my gifts to each and every second that I have to live is a gift from God. There is nothing that I have done nor anything that I can do to deserve these gifts. They are from God, and so it is my purpose to give it entirely back to him. Entirely. That doesn’t mean thinking about God most of the time. That doesn’t mean putting in a really good effort to love someone once a week. Entirely means everything. Every last bit of my being and of my time is for God. That is the standard for the members of God’s family. Mostly is not good enough. Almost everything is not good enough. Practically all the time is not good enough. Entirely means everything.

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.”
Luke 9:23-24

I will close off by saying this: I have a friend who texted me today encouraging me in my soon to be position as a youth pastor in Lethbridge. She also asked me if I had any really cool God-encounters lately. Though she may not know it, this was really convicting for me. I have had some really cool God encounters lately, but I had to think for a while of what they might be. I can’t help but think if I am taking Luke 9 seriously, this should be second nature to think of, no effort at all.

I did come to one really cool God experience in my memory after a while of thinking, from the same girl actually. She’s quite sick right now, and taking medicine specifically prescribed from the doctor to cure what should be just a common cold. Even though she is really sick, she took the time to encourage me. She put her gifts to work, even in the most inconvenient circumstances.

Ask yourself with me: how do I do in using my gifts when the circumstances are ideal, let alone inconvenient?

May God bless you as you use your everything entirely.