Believe Manifesto

Yesterday as I came off of two of the roughest days I have had in a while, I was trying to over-analyze my thoughts and feelings and why I was wrestling so much with Lyla’s acting out and if I was a good mother. Thursday was a day full of plans 7:30am-9pm….it was a long day but it was a day filled with hope and serving. See, I have been praying for a while for God to bring me people to help, people to serve, to help in whatever way I can. So a few weeks ago I felt a nudge to call up my friend and ask her to lunch. We met for lunch yesterday, and to my surprise…she needed to hear my story. She needed to hear the ugly dark stuff to help her wrestle with what is going on in her life. My Christian friends told me this would happen. They told me not to blast my story from the roof tops, that I would find the times to use my story for the good of others. God needed me to give my story to my friend yesterday. She is fed up, tired and was in dire need of hope and renewal. She sent me this message late last night, “God has something better for you, something to meet your desires and place in your path those who need you more.”

See we make it about us, we get tired, we get frustrated and sometimes we get very lost. Many times it’s the devil trying to weaken us, bring us down so we can’t chase after our purposes or meet the need God has put right in front of us.

So this week we had some serious reading and journaling about our past, about some of our best moments and about what our gifts are–what we are amazing at right now. I know its hard to look back at the hard times, I know its difficult to share your heart with people. Please know that you will get to a better, closer place with God by getting those words on paper and digging through those threads with a few people who you know and trust. Don’t be afraid of that. Transparency is key. Don’t let that hold you back from meeting the needs right in front of you.

We are given things so that we might show God to others. The raw materials of our lives will come together and be used to bless others and build God’s kingdom.

What I loved about our scripture reading in Genesis the last two days is we see just this. Joseph was showing God to others. Genesis 11:3 Soon Potiphar realized that the Lord was helping Joseph to be successful in whatever he did.

Isn’t that amazing? A man was able to recognize God in his servant/slave…Joseph was using the raw materials he had. Genesis 11:23 The jailer did not worry about anything, because the Lord was with Joseph and made him successful in all that he did. So not only was he showing the jailer God, he saw that the Lord was making Joseph successful in ALL that he did. Isn’t that what you guys want? That sounds like an amazing place to be! Even though Joseph was in prison, God was with him and Joseph leaned in–and he did everything he did for the glory of God.

For you it may be diapers, bills, teaching, singing, helping, driving kids/husband/neighbor. But whatever we are good at, lets be amazing at it for God, and lets lean in to him and pray that he will make us successful in all that we do.

Blessings,

Sarah

Lets talk: What do you think your gifts are, what keeps you from using those gifts?