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Sometime last week, Princess T asked me an astonishing question; she said ‘Mum, please don’t say equally but who do you love more between me and God??’
Usually, herself and her sister tend to ask me every now and again if I love one sister more than the other and they usually start with ‘don’t say equally’ so it’s like an inside joke but I never expected she would ask that about God.
Are you wondering how I answered her? I replied ‘How would you feel if you gave me a gift and I loved the gift more than you?’ She said, that will make me sad, to which I responded ‘God gave you to me and it would be unfair if I love you more than I love God’.
I didn’t think much of that conversation until 3am that night when I found myself awake and having a conversation with myself about loving the gift more than the giver. Sometimes, we are not even aware of it. To be honest, would we (children of God) intentionally love something God gave us more than him but a lot of us have unconsciously built idols we are not even aware of.
- What are we doing with our talents/gifts?
In each of us, God has a deposit and we should regularly ask ourselves what we are doing with it. I believe the gift is not ‘out of the ordinary’ it is just what it is.
If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.
If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Romans 12 v 7-8
From the verse above, your gift might be kindness, helping people, do it well.
On the other hand, some of us have lost sight of the one that gave the talent and focused on it more than the giver. When our commitment to your gift/talent is more than our commitment to our relationship with God, then we are adoring the gift more than the giver.
- Unused talent/gift
I think what could be worse than ‘misusing our gifts’ is underusing it. Sometimes, we doubt ourselves, the ability of God to use us and put a restrain on what He can do through us.
The infamous impostor syndrome is the reason many of us are not utilising our gifts. I find myself struggling many times with some thoughts God gives me, asking myself how I can possibly think God will use me like that. I know I’m not the only one that thinks like that.
But the master replied, ‘you wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
Mathew 25 v 26-27
If your smile brings smiles to others, then use it well. If you’re gentle, use it well. Whatever He has given to you, use it well!
- What are we doing with our money
Money is a tool we all have in common, no one survives without money, either a lot or a little, and we all use money.
But how often do we stop to ask ourselves if we are using the money we’ve been given for the purpose He gave it (click link for post about money)
This is a gift a lot of us love more than the giver.
The main purpose of wealth/money is generosity (and I’m learning this every day). God provides for us so we can provide for others. How often are we providing for others especially the poor?
And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others
2 Corinthians 9 v 8
Are we hoarding the gift? Then we are loving it more than the giver.
- What are we doing with our time?
God has given us all 24hours in a day however, we mostly use it as we please. How are we pleasing God with our time? Is it all for our earthly work and satisfaction?
How committed are we to giving Him some of our time daily, I mean scheduled uninterrupted time?? Think about it.
- We should ask for help
God is always willing to help us, if only we are humble enough to ask for help. That night whilst I was thinking, I found the scripture below and I’ve been praying it since then, asking the Lord to help me use well what He has given me, you should ask him also.
To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away
Mathew 25 v 29
As we used to say in high school debates ‘I hope I’ve been able to convince you and not to confuse you’…..hahahaha.
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I leave you with the peace of God. Have a nice weekend!
Lots of points to reflect on here. I love the answer you gave your daughter, I need to file it away. Kids ask the most interesting questions.
About giving, especially to the less privileged, do you sometimes struggle with the definition of who is less privileged and who is entitled and who is making bad choices?
I remember as a child how some adults would say not give money to beggars because they shouldn’t be on the streets anyway.
Hmmm….it’s not difficult to spot the poor on the streets, the Bible specifically says to give to them, it doesn’t talk about moral justification so I think that’s just us being humans.
On the other hand, we shouldn’t only give to the poor, we should also sow into prosperity, give to the rich too. Remember Mary that poured the perfume at Jesus’s feet, he wasn’t in need, infact, He symbolises abundance .