As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.—1 Peter 4:10-11
The other day a friend told me this: “There is no way for anyone who hangs around you to have any excuse for not getting done what they need to get done. You are so productive.” She is continually amazed at my daily activities of spending time with God, caring for my home and three boys full time, blogging three days a week, discipling five women and counseling countless others, meeting freelance writing deadlines and hanging with my husband and sometimes pampering myself. She is amazed. No, I am amazed, not at me but at the power through me. I clearly understand that what I do is because of God’s grace and understood this to a greater degree when I stopped blogging last month.
Grace is giving you something that you didn’t earn. It could be favor, the capacity and power from God to excel and the gifts and powers granted to Christians. If God has given me the gifts, power and capacity to excel, I am obligated to do what He tells me to do and trust that I will get it done because of these gifts, power and capacity—his grace. That’s why I work so hard. I am grateful for God’s grace to me.
When I stopped blogging for a month, I was able to change many things associated with that process and to do other, less cerebral activities: 1) I didn’t always get up early; 2) I wasn’t planning posts; 3) I didn’t have to navigate between the computer to write and the stove to cook; 4) I stayed up late watching movies with my husband; 5) I spent more time outdoors with my sons; 6) I painted my toenails; 7) I read a book and so much more. Doing these felt so good and I became awestruck with God when considering my ability from Him to be able to be regimented with blogging and not do those seven less heady activities. The restraint truly was God’s grace in action.
I declare like Jesus did when He was on His earthly mission: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.” I hunger to do and am satisfied when I do God’s will and complete His work for me. I thank Him for so much grace, the only way I can do all that I do.
Copyright 2010 by Rhonda J. Smith