“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.” Exodus 4:2
This topic has been on my heart and mind for some time now. I pray that God will give me mental clarity and my lips His words for I feel that too many of us need to hear what God wants us to hear about this.
We hurry and we scurry and fill our days to the fullest, but do we truly use what God has given us to our fullest potential?
It is so easy to get stuck into a certain mindset … into a rut, if you will. Do not start pointing fingers yet because you may be there right now and did not even have a clue. I know that I have been here. Sadly, it is not just confined to a certain race or a certain profession, and it is just as widespread in the church as it is out of the church.
What hinders us from living our lives to their fullest potential? Sometimes it is important to stop the merry-go-round of life and step off long enough to get a clear picture of what is really happening around us. To see where we really are headed in life.
Satan is the master hinderer. He is also a master at deceiving us into believing his lies. So, let us look at some lies that he uses to hinder us:
1. By being busy, I accomplish more — This is so clearly portrayed in the contrast between Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was so “cumbered about [with] much serving,” yet, Christ said that, “Mary hath chosen the good part.” Mary who sat at Jesus’ feet was the one who was blessed the most. Yes, we must serve, but we cannot fail to forget the “good part” either!
2. Believing that all things are created equal; consequently, not setting priorities — The Bible clearly tells us in Matthew 6:33 that we are to, “seek ye FIRST the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Setting and living by priorities in our lives are so important and at the top of that list must be God. If we fail to do just this one simple thing, it can mess up everything else in our lives in a hurry.
3. Feeling that we are not good enough — This feeling most often comes when we compare ourselves to others. II Corinthians 10:12 informs us that this is a very unwise practice. God “fearfully and wonderfully made” each one of us (Psalm 139:14). He did not make us to sit off to the side. No, my friend! He made us to use us. We are special to him and that is what counts!
4. It looks too much like work — Sometimes we ignore what we are carrying in our hand because we do not want to use it. It may look too much like work to us! But, II Thessalonians 3:10 tells us that, “if any would not work, neither should he eat.” If we want sustenance physically for ourselves and for our families, we must work to provide for that.
5. It does not matter how I do the job as long as it gets done — Umm … no! That is not what God says. God says in II Corinthians 10:12 that “whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” We must do it with care and purpose. We must do it from the heart!
Come back next week as we continue with Part 2 … finding out how we can use what God has put in our hands!