Skip to main content

“Excellence invokes a blessing, and blessing evokes excellence.”

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Double Blessing (p. 29). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

And that needs to also apply to us.

Mark says, “Dorothy Sayers said, ‘No crooked table legs or ill-fitting drawers ever, I dare swear, came out of the carpenter’s shop at Nazareth.’1 Jesus crafted furniture the way He treated people—with great care. It doesn’t matter whether you work a white-collar or blue-collar or no-collar job; it’s our utmost for His highest. Excellence invokes a blessing, and blessing evokes excellence. You could even call excellence a habit of highly blessed people.”

He goes on, “When I was in graduate school, I took an occupational assessment that showed a low aptitude for writing. In other words, ‘Whatever you do, don’t write books!’ I felt called to write, but I knew that writing was not my natural gifting. Fortunately, God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

“Without the help of the Holy Spirit, I’m below average! That’s why I take my shoes off when I write. It’s my way of acknowledging that I’m on holy ground. It’s my way of asking God for a writing anointing. When I start typing, what I’m really doing is worshipping God with the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet. I’m taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ with a keyboard. Now, your employer might not be too happy if you started showing up to meetings barefoot. But is there a unique way for you to acknowledge that you are fulfilling God’s calling? Is there a unique way to acknowledge that the boardroom or classroom or locker room is holy ground?

“God wants to use you at your point of greatest giftedness, no doubt. He’s the one who gave you those gifts in the first place! But God also wants to use you at your point of weakness. Why? Because it’s in our weaknesses that His power is made perfect. (2 Corinthians 12:9) He doesn’t just anoint our strong hands. He anoints our weak hands too! And when He does, there is a keen awareness that God is working in us and through us in a way that is beyond what we could ask or imagine!”

It is for Him that we do what we do, isn’t it? 

Yes, yes!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...
Post a Comment
Read more

“When you understand that life is a test, you realize that nothing is insignificant in your life.”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 57). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. To realize that from God’s perspective life is a test goes a long way in determining how you handle your life.   It is important to see that in testing your character is both developed and revealed.   Rick goes on to say that “even the smallest incident has significance for your character development. Every day is an important day, and every second is a growth opportunity to deepen your character, to demonstrate love, or to depend on God.” So there is a God purpose behind each situation in your life.   Even the bad ones are there to strengthen you and develop you.   You see those bad situations are really good ones because they are there for your good. I start each day with a reminder that God is good.   Not every situation that is going to come in my day is good but because G...
Post a Comment
Read more

“What areas of my personality, background, and physical appearance am I struggling to accept?”

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (Purpose Driven Life, The) (p. 35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Rick posed this question at the end of his chapter, You Are Not an Accident.   In this chapter he deals with the fact that God created you the way you are with a purpose.   In other words you are not an accident.   I am also reading the Apostle John’s view of Jesus and what He said and did while He was here on earth.   In the beginning of Chapter 9 there is a story about a blind man.   And the disciples who were with Him asked Him a good question, “Who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind? ”   Have you ever asked the same thing about something in you that you don’t like?   Like that characteristic is a curse or something.   Society has set a standard that is not a standard of God.   Remember, He created you and you are not an accident. Je...
Post a Comment
Read more