Time is too precious to waste...

Time is a precious commodity. There’s never enough of it. We get 24 hours in a day – nothing more, nothing less. So, why do we spend so much of it doing things that we aren’t really called or equipped to do? What would life be like if we were able to really pursue the things that we were designed and created to do? What’s keeping us from living out the dream that’s trying to come alive inside of us? We’ve been thinking a lot about this topic in our family recently. In fact, my husband has devoted the whole weekend to exploring that topic at the “Quitter Conference” hosted by Jon Acuff.

Here’s an example from my own life - Based on the spiritual gifts assessments that I’ve taken in the past, one of my gifts is teaching. I love to teach. I take great pleasure in systematically explaining concepts to students and then seeing their eyes light up with understanding. Even though this is a spiritual gifting, it carries over into the natural as well. I’ve seen it in action this semester as I’ve taken on a second job of sorts teaching statistics to MBA students one night a week. It takes a lot of time to plan lessons and prepare lectures for a 3 hour class each week – not to mention grading homework! But, I can honestly say that it energizes me in a way that I don’t really understand. I may be tired after working a 15 hour day on Wednesdays, but I’m not exhausted. My mind is engaged and I have a sense of fulfillment on the long drive home after class. And, I really feel like it’s helped me to be more focused, effective, and engaged in my “day-job” as well.

In contrast to that scenario, I took a fun little online personality assessment this week after seeing a friend post it on facebook. I realize that these things aren’t scientific, and I also realize that personality traits and spiritual gifts are two entirely different things (although I do believe that they often work in tandem). All that aside, here’s the interesting point. The test was measuring Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance (DISC). My strongest traits were compliance and steadiness, but my weakest trait (by far) was influence. It was pretty clear from that test that I am not an influencer (and I’m ok with that!). But, here’s the funny part. I’m currently working as a director of product management for a software company, and we always tell people that the key to success in this field is being able to exert “influence without authority.” Hmmmmm… I wonder why I sometimes come home frustrated after a long day at the office. The good news is that I’ve learned how to compensate for my weaknesses and have managed to be pretty successful. However, sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I could spend my days doing something where I could leverage and sharpen my strengths rather than exerting so much effort to compensate for my weaknesses.

Sometimes we just need to step back and assess where we are in life and take a long look at our strengths and weaknesses and how those are working for (or against) us as we pursue the dreams that God has placed in our hearts. It’s never too late to start taking baby steps towards those dreams. Time is too precious to waste, and once it’s gone, we’ll never get it back…

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” – Ecclesiastes 3:1

God's got my back - Now what?

2012 is just a few weeks old, but it’s already been a crazy faith ride! Where I thought there would be huge challenges, there have been abundant opportunities. Where I thought there would be discouragement, there has been anticipation and excitement. I have so much confidence right now in the fact that God is in control and that He is doing a good work in my family. I know that I know that He is supplying all of our needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). But, in my giddiness over God’s goodness, I think that I may have accidentally lost sight of His purposes. I’ve gotten so focused on what He’s been doing for me that I forgot about what He wants me to do for Him.

I was driving home from work one day last week when Big Daddy Weave’s song “Love Come to Life” came on the radio. I’ve heard that song a thousand times, but that day, the words of the chorus just pierced my heart. It says:

“Bring your love to life inside of me
Why don’t you break my heart ’til it moves my hands and feet
For the hopeless and the broken
for the ones that don’t know that you love them
Bring your love to life inside of me”

I clearly heard God’s voice saying to me: “I’ve got you taken care of – now what are you going to do about it? If I’ve got your back, then what’s preventing you from getting out there and doing the hard work of sharing my love with others?”

Wow – humbling words… We’ve been given so much compared with so many around the world. My financial worries tend more towards things like – there’s no extra money to buy a new dress or to go on vacation or out to eat or to the movies – not towards the worry of where I’m going to sleep tonight or where my next meal is coming from. In my comfort, I sometimes forget how much need is out there…

I feel like I have been given my marching orders – Get out there and make a difference in the world! Things on the homefront are under control, but there’s a huge battle raging for the hearts and minds and lives of the people all around me. I can face it head on – with confidence - ‘cause God’s got my back!

“Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” – Isaiah 58:7-8