Bill Hybels recently concluded a leadership event with a challenge to those in attendance. He read a prayer he encouraged us all to pray for the next 30 days. You can download the prayer by clicking here. Essentially the message is to commit yourself each day to fulfilling your purpose in God’s plan. You’ve probably prayed similar prayers at various stages of your life. It has almost become rote to commit our lives and our hearts to Christ each day. However, some of the other specifics of this particular prayer challenged me to consider how I live my life with a new perspective. Three of the commitments that have changed the way I approach my day are pledging to use my talents, energy, and creativity to fulfill my role in building His church.
- Pledging my talents. God has entrusted me with a unique blend of skills and passions. He has gifted you with your own set of talents. Each day I am charged with using the gifts He gave me to further God’s Kingdom and to glorify Christ. When I write, for example, it is not so I can gain notoriety or even earn a few bucks. I write to bring honor to Him, to encourage myself and others to live their lives wholly devoted to Christ. That is why He gave me this ability. Beyond anything else I might accomplish, this is the driving force behind why I do what I do. It’s important that we keep our gifts in perspective and use them principally for the purposes of reflecting His light and love into our world.
- Pledging my energy. This is a difficult one for me. Most of my best hours are spent at a job that on the surface makes no discernible impact on the world. The parts of my day when I feel most energetic are spent doing the bidding of a company that has no interest in the message of Christ. By the time I get home in the evening, I’m pretty well drained and spent. There are two things that need to be said about this. First, when we feel as if our energy is gone, we should take that to God in prayer. Let Him know how you feel while pledging whatever energy He might help you muster to serve Him fully. He will restore you and honor your desire to seek Him. Second, when we do have energy throughout our day, regardless of our circumstances, we must channel it to glorify Jesus. Find ways to show love to another. Look for opportunities to serve your co-workers and whomever else you might encounter. Your situation may not be ideal, but you can always find ways to reflect the character of Christ.
- Pledging my creativity. I am a creative person. This isn’t a new revelation, but one I have been keenly aware of all my life. Sadly, I have not always used my creativity in ways that honor God. I have a million ideas a minute, but many of them are not specifically focused on how I might glorify Him through what I choose to create. We have a creative God; that is why we are creative. We reflect His image. It is helpful to remind myself each day to use my creativity to honor Him, to select projects and ideas that will further His Kingdom. I don’t want to be creative for the applause of others. I want to create so that Jesus may be made known to our world.
I encourage you to pray this prayer each morning for yourself. Focus on those areas you may not have been fully surrendering to Him. Commit yourself anew each day to fulfill your role in the mission to which He has called you.
Are you using your talents, energy, and creativity for Christ? Please join the conversation by sharing the ways in which you are doing so by leaving a comment below.