Books are wonderful. I love them; I find delight in them; they give me joy. I love pretending to be another person; to live a different life and see things a different way. I love to see the rhythm of words. The poetry, the creation, the power of a skillfully arranged set of words. Such power words hold.
But words belong to you; you can't belong to them. It's not how it was designed to be. At any and every point in the process, are you willing to say to God, "If You ask it of me, I will give up my books"? Be cautioned: He might say, "I ask it of you; lay them at my feet, and let them be." Are you willing to sacrifice your Isaac?
Last night, I told Him that: "If you ask it of me, I will give up my books." He replied, "No. I have given you words, you must use them."
And God has given me words. There are consumers and creators, and I am both. He has given me a way with words, to craft them and mold them. Now, I'm hardly Charles Dickens, but I will not hide my gift because it is not as grand as anothers. God has shown me how to use words as great encouragement, and that is one of my favorite things to do. I have not always used His words as I ought, but I strive to.
Ask yourself this: has God given you words? There is no pride there, for pride lurks in your strength; hiding your gift is denying God his credit. It's hiding your talent in the ground
If the answer to the question above was 'yes', ask of yourself another question: how can I use this to the fullness that God may receive twofold or fivefold or tenfold His investment?
Your gift of words may be with your mouth; that you know exactly what to say and when to say it. If so, encourage others to be more like Him.
You might fear to speak, but you love to encourage. I write anonymous letters of encouragement to people, five or six lines long, and I illustrate the borders. That is one of my favorite things to do; and I will never receive any thanks, but that is part of the point.
Perhaps you don't know how to encourage people you know, but you can craft a beautiful picture that is not real. Perhaps you can encourage someone you have never met by a book that was simply glorifying to God, whether it held His name or not.
Maybe your gift is not with words. The Word promises you have one; and it will be your adventure to find what it is.
If I have blessed you with this post or any other, please tell me, for I love to be encouraged.
If I have distressed you with this post or any other, please tell me, for I love to learn.
If I have troubled you with this post or any other, please tell me, for I love to sort things out.
You can comment or Email me at Sarah@BadgerEMail.NET
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