Highly Favored

Nobody Else Can Be Me

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 (KJV)

God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings. 1 Peter 4:10 (LB)

Question to Consider:
What God-given ability or personal experience can I offer to my church?
Most people are surprised when I tell them that my oldest child is 16. The first thing they say is “You don’t look old enough to have a 16 year old!” Well, that’s because I’m not exactly. I was a teenage mom – I had my oldest son at 16. They are also surprised to hear that my husband and I have been married for 15 of those years and that I’ve gone to school and earned my Masters. They are surprised because they assume that if you were dumb enough to get pregnant at such a young age, you should be on drugs by now!

When I got pregnant, everyone assumed that I’d completely ruined my life. Honestly, it should have ruined my life – but apparently God had other plans. There are so many times, that had one thing been different, maybe I would have become strung out on drugs or alcohol. (It’s not that I didn’t stupidly try them at times). But God… He made it so I had an affordable house to live in to raise my baby (my husband’s parents allowed us to stay in a house they owned for free), my mother-in-law was a daycare provider, so I didn’t have to send my baby to a stranger while I finished school. I started doing so much better in school that my teacher refered me to the school’s job program – so I ended up working for the Board of Education as a secretary. I ended up working with a woman who encouraged and helped me to register for college a few years later… Although, having a child made things harder, God didn’t let it ruin me.

Recently, a teenage niece of mine had a baby (he’s so cute!). When she’d gotten pregant, she had to endure those same condescending comments of relatives. She had only been in college a semester and was forced to drop out. She was depressed and disappointed. She didn’t talk to me for a couple of months because she thought I would say the same things as the rest of the family. I quickly suggested she do some calculations between my age and her cousin’s age – I reminded her that I was even younger than she was when I had my first child. I reassured her that she could handle whatever God had in store for her – but the key was to depend on Him and let him guide her where He wants – apparently He wants her to be a mom now – so accept it. The great part, is that when you let God work out your troubles, He throws in unexpected blessings.

My grate-nephew is so precious – and she loves him so much. She was afraid she wouldn’t be a good mother, but she’s already made some pretty good choices – she’s breastfeeding, despite its unpopularity among her friends. If I hadn’t gone through the same experience myself I don’t know how much I could have encouraged her in her time of despair…But God…

Important Quotes:
“No one has the exact same mix of factors that mkae you unique. That means no one else on earth will ever be able to play the role God planned for you. If you don’t make your unique contribution to the Body of Christ, it won’t be made.” (Warren, 241)

“You have dozens, probably hundreds, of untapped, unrecognizxed, and unused abilities that are lying dormant inside you.” (Warren, 242)

“God has a place in his church where your abilities can hine and you can make a difference. It’s up to you to find that place.” (Warren, 243)

“What I’m able to do, God wants me to do…God will never ask you to dedicate your life to a task you have no talent for. On the other hand, your abilities you do have are a strong indication of what God wants you to do with your life…God doesn’t waste abilities; he matches our calling and our capabilities.” (Warren, 243)

“When you are forced to minister in a manner that is ‘out of character’ for your temperament, it creates tension and disomfort, requires extra effort and energy, and produces less than the best results. This is why mimicking someone else’s ministry never works.” (Warren, 245)

“It feels good to do what God made you to do. When you minister in a manner consistent with the personality God gave you, you experience fulfillment, satisfaction, and fruitfulness.” (Warren, 246)

“If you really desire to be used by God, you must understand a powerful truth: The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life – the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget – are the very experiences God wants to use to help others. They are your ministry!” (Warren, 247)

“People are always more encouraged when we share how God’s grace helped us in weaknesses than when we brag abotu our strengths.” (Warren, 247)

“What wil you do with what you’ve been through? Don’t waste your pain; use it to help others.” (Warren, 248)

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