What Will You Do with What You’ve Been Given?

CURRENT TEACHING SERIES What On Earth Am I Here For?   What Will You Do with What You’ve Been Given? By Rick Warren — Sep 28, 2015 “Each of us, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.” (1 Peter 4:10 TEV) Do you know what God created you for? Do you know what your destiny is? In order to fulfill your destiny, you must recognize the gifts God has given you to use. These are the cards you are dealt in life. They include the things you can’t control: your parents, your nationality, your race, your native language. They also include your SHAPE: your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences. These are the things that make you uniquelyyou. Now, you are not responsible for the gifts God didn’t give you. In other words, if you are not artistically gifted, you are not expected to paint pictures like Rembrandt. But you are responsible for the ones he did give you. When you get to Heaven, God isn’t going to compare you with anyone else, but he will compare you with yourself. What did you do with what you were given? What could you have done if you had trusted God a little bit more? Romans 14:12 says, “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” (NIV). Esther had three assets that God gave her to use to fulfill her destiny. She was intelligent, beautiful, and she had an attractive personality. Because of these qualities, “Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her …. She won [the king’s] favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen” (Esther 2:15b, 17). God gave Esther these gifts for a purpose. God has given you gifts for a purpose. And just like Esther, you have a responsibility to be a good steward of those gifts — not for selfish uses but for the good of others. Your gifts are not for your benefit. God gave you gifts for the benefit of other people. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over In order to know your destiny, you have to know your talents and decide how to use them. Make a list of the gifts God has given you (don’t forget to include your SHAPE and the things you can’t control). Ask yourself, “What has God given me for good to use for good?” How can you help others discover their SHAPE and purpose? What are some practical ways you can get out of the rut of comparing yourself to others? Today’s Scripture “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19, NKJV) SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS He Delivers You from All An affliction is defined as the cause of persistent pain or distress. Afflictions can take on many forms—a sickness or hardship, a temptation, a coworker or family member. There are so many things that can come against us, but God promises in His Word that no weapon formed against us shall prosper. You might feel afflicted today, but God is working to bring you out of that difficult situation. It may not be in the way you thought, but you have to trust that God has your best interest at heart. Remember, afflictions are only temporary. Stand in faith believing that God is on your side. It doesn’t matter what your circumstances look like, get up every morning and say, “This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it. My Deliverer is coming!” A Prayer for Today “Father, thank You for being my Deliverer. I trust that You have a good plan for me, and You will deliver me out of all affliction in Jesus’ name! Amen.”