Give Your Story is a Manifestation of my story. My Faith and my work provided a path with the help of important people God put in my life. The result is a relationship with Jesus. What does this look like?
Obey, Faith, Fruit, Gifts, Spread the Word.
The evidence has been provided by God all along my journey. Obey is in simple terms, stop sinning. At the depths of my sex addiction and internal struggle with guilt and conviction; In a desperate plea with God, as I fell on the couch in my living room and said. “God Help me.” – and I really meant it from the bottom of my soul. God answered me. And I heard a silent voice within me – “It’s going to be ok.” It was the first time I ever had communication with God. I was 30 years old. Was that real? It certainly wasn’t my imagination.
Faith was believing that God would and has saved me, Jesus is the way. However, for me – There was no wavering. My Faith is fierce and solid as a rock. Further proof of this Faith evidence was God pulling me from a river and showing me His power that delivered a message that “I am not done with you and you have further purpose on this earth.” This Included being a better husband and father to my children for much longer than just a few years. Little did I know, more of my purpose would be revealed in my journey in finding Jesus.
And the Fruit began to grow. It looked like repair in my marriage. It looked like being a good father to my children. It looked like sex addiction becoming a method to help others with the same affliction. The Fruit looks like, God providing the ability to channel attacks by Satan with bipolar into Glorifying God with writing about Hope for others.
Then, God provided me with the ability to sea my Gifts. Faith Tops the list.
Recently, my Pastor had a sermon called “Use it or lose it.” He was talking about Gifts. He used the Parable of the Talents to deliver his message.
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents,[a] to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’
21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’
22 “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’
23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’
24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then[b] you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money[c] back with interest when I returned.
28 “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The primary Take Away from this message: If you do not use your Gift’s, they will be given to someone else. My understanding is, that this is not forever should you make changes. It is God’s way of ensuring you are using the Gifts not for self, but for Him!
Finally, there is Spread the Word. This is where we use our Gifts to Glorify Him! That is what I do when I write here at Give Your Story. However, It is not completed with out others. I cannot Spread the Word without readers, I cannot Spread the Word without a Leader, I cannot Spread the Word without Community, I cannot Spread the Word without Fellowship. Each one of my Gifts must be used to Spread the Word to Glorify His name and Edify the Church, or they will be given to someone else.
I cannot do it alone.
I have resolve and WILL NOT lose my God Given Gifts! Laziness, complacency, self-fulfillment, fear and misuse of the Spiritual Gifts that have been bestowed to me is NOT ON THE MENU.
No one can stop me this I know! Get out of the way! Not Satan, Not You, will get in the way. God is my Rock and Jesus is my Savior. I will continue to Obey, lay on my Faith, produce and harvest the Fruit, use my Gifts to the Fullest and continue to Spread the Word.
I love Him and will do His Will ONLY.