Facets of Faith Archives – Page 20 of 20

What Do I Have to Offer: The Gift of Me

12.13.2016 by Jennifer Howe //

We’re nearly halfway into December, and I (Jennifer) wonder if you’re looking forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior, too. I remember lots of precious moments in my decades of Christmases, but I have favorites: the gifts wrapped in multiple layers. A big box emerged from the tree’s low, ornament-laden branches, and the fun began. At the heart of several wrapped boxes was a small, precious gift. Something that might be overlooked for its small size was given significance and greater excitement in the context of beautiful presentation and heightened expectation over several minutes of opening and opening and opening again.

Creative presentation and the extended opening process can be fun. It takes time to get to the best part, and the heart of the gift is the gift. When I thought about that, my mind wandered to another instance of something precious hidden deep inside. Matryoshka dolls. Nested inside an intricately painted wooden doll “shell” are several more until the smallest one is found at the heart of the last opened doll. It’s similar to the gift within a gift within a gift, isn’t it? I imagine a little girl eagerly opening each one to see where the smallest one would appear.

The gift-opening process and nested dolls grabbed my attention when I thought about December’s topic. I think that, at the heart of who we are, is God-given purpose that includes our entire being woven into a beautiful, partially-hidden opportunity. We’re more complex than the dolls, but not different in our many layers of gifts and talents or interests and passions. Our physical, emotional, and spiritual makeup plus our experiences are all part of the package. And we become the gift, if we choose. We can do that by offering ourselves as a gift God can use in the lives of others. The choice is rooted in our God-given purpose: to glorify God and love Him forever.

When I think of myself as a gift, ideas swirl through my mind. Jack of all trades, master of none. The “utility player” on the softball team. The “quick study” who can figure out or learn most assignments or tasks. The mind with a little knowledge on a variety of subjects (but never algebra or some sciences). Some of us have no single thing we do well with laser precision. (Does this resonate with you?) It’s possible to feel confusion about how we can serve others.

Some talents reside closer to the surface. When my friend needs line editing or proofing done, that seems natural. If my son needs a ride somewhere, the driving is nearly automatic. My education and experience in some areas make gifting myself a matter of decision (willingness). My skill set isn’t challenged as much as my heart to serve graciously. I cherish the “easy” tasks—the low-hanging fruit—I simply have to choose to engage my heart, especially when I’m unaware of the far-reaching effects hidden from view.

When I offer the “gift of me,” I have to assess what God has placed in me (talents and experience), what excites me (passion), and where I can be effective (circle of influence, resources, and time I have). I have to be completely honest with God, myself, and others because I have a heart to have influence and impact in a number of areas. I want to be everywhere and try anything. Then Paul reminds me:

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12 CSB

We each need to identify who we are in service to others. For me, that can be as basic as knowing my math limitations. It’s embracing my heart for toddlers and the reality of their dependence. I may want to serve my neighbor, but language and cultural barriers should be acknowledged. My passion, education, and experience have real limits. I have to honestly ask—what has God put in me?

Then there are times we ask what God is ready to pour into us. We’ve talked about “big asks” and times we decide to serve others in ways that require sacrifice, God-given strength, and endurance. When we gift ourselves for someone’s blessing this way because we’ve been led to it by the Spirit of God, we get to the heart of the gift, the central part of our heart and our purpose. The gift is more significant because it requires unique sacrifice. The gift is bigger than we can muster (we can’t take credit), and the effect is often more than we can even hope (we couldn’t make it happen alone). When we make our whole self available to God for his power and purposes, crazy-awesome things can happen! I think that’s the essence of loving God with your whole heart, mind, and strength.

“The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever” (Westminster Shorter Catechism). That, friends, is our soul purpose in this life and the next. Any gift each one of us gives can line up with that, but do the intentional heart, mind, and strength checks regularly. My purpose is not to proofread, but proofreading can serve in a significant, impactful way. The relationship with the author may be influential. The content of the proofread text may have far-reaching effects. My purpose is not to drive, but the time I choose to chauffeur may impact the life of my son or someone he encounters. The prayer I pray in uncertainty with faith in the One who hears it may be the opportunity God uses in my life and the one I pray for. Each of these gifts I give reside at different depths of who I am, but they are opportunities to serve and bless someone.

We all have a range of opportunities and things to offer. Will you lean in? Will you give the gift of you? I wonder what had God placed in you…

The gift of you (your talent, education, experience, and passion) is a blessing to you in order to be a blessing. How can you line up all of who you are and everything you’ve been equipped to do with your God-given purpose? What do you think? Comment below or at our Facebook Page.

Happy holy days from my heart to yours!

Yes? No? Maybe so…

10.11.2016 by Jennifer Howe //

I (Jennifer) will let you in on a little secret. I’m afraid of commitment. Okay, I said it. It’s all out in the open now. Does that change our relationship? Maybe, but let me explain—

This month we’re talking about the “Y-word,” and that means commitment. If I say yes, I’m completely committed; I rarely back out. I take each one seriously, so I’m slow to respond to invitations, meetings, even coffee dates. I’m not talking about the calendar I haven’t memorized and my fear of over-booking like an airline. That happens. I’m talking about managing the number of yeses I offer. While I like to think I’m not the fool who rushes in, the truth is, my yes is so important to me, I reserve it (sometimes for too long).

When I think about saying yes to anything in my schedule, I’m reminded of the wisdom of James—

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15 CSB

Then there’s the wisdom of Jesus—

Just let your ‘Yes’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origin in evil. Matthew 5:37 CJB

With those two things in mind, how can I give my best, solid yes to the next invitation that pops up? Am I arrogant in planning to go somewhere, see someone, or take on a project? If I say yes, what happens if something changes? (Have you heard of analysis paralysis?) I might get stuck in the “what ifs” surrounding commitment. I might be tempted to think any yes is prideful or chiseled in stone. I wonder if, under the right conditions, it’s none of those things.

I want my yes to be thoughtful and purposeful. When I consider “the Lord’s will,” I have a wonderful opportunity to think, pray, and respond. That’s really the process for me, on a good day.

When I’m asked to serve in some way (at someone’s request or God’s), it can be emotional. I love to be helpful and feel part of something larger than myself, which is a good thing. But I need to be wary of feeling puffed up if I contribute to any project or cause. That prideful attitude is not a good thing. So I try to examine my motives and personal agenda, if there is one. Whatever I do, I want to do with a clean hands and an honest heart.

I also have limited time, strength, and resources, if I’m honest. It makes sense to look at responsibilities and necessary boundaries before agreeing to anything. I might be tempted to give a quick yes with the best intensions, but the truth may be that I’m stretched too thin. When someone asks me to serve, I want my first thought to be Is this for me? Let me explain.

For we are His creation—created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 CSB

Opportunities will always present themselves. From coffee dates to “big deal” decisions, I think the best, solid yes comes from knowing the request is, first, in keeping with God’s heart, plan, and his incredible hardwiring in us. My beautiful friend leaned into learning an instrument in a short time for a recording. I am not instrumentally-inclined, so I’m pretty sure that’s “not for me.” That doesn’t mean there won’t be asks that we know are specifically entrusted to us that are a stretch (God supernaturally fills canyon-wide gaps all the time). What’s most important in each yes we consider is if this ask or task is set aside for us for right now.

I ask myself, Is this something I am to walk in by the power of God? Is He working in this moment and inviting me to join Him? That’s what I want to know!

When others know our talents and giftedness, a good number of asks might be made, even frequently. If our God-given inclination is to lead, help, empower others, or show mercy, the requests may seem endless. That’s when we need to pause before responding. When we ask God what he has for us in the day, we will have the wisdom to know which yeses are ours.

Now, if I’m very transparent, just a drop of pride in the mix generates a longer list of opportunities to say yes. That’s where I come full-circle in this post. My fear of offering a yes is half-rooted in the fact that I know my pride might lead me to say yes too quickly or too often. The other half is rooted in the genuine, joyful follow-through on a commitment. Time, energy, resources, and failure swirl around all of that. I end up asking What if this is too much? What if I was never intended to join in this moment? Will I miss something else because of this yes?

There’s the tension in the yes for me. That’s why I want to pause, pray, and then jump in when I’ve got the go-ahead. Is this something you wrestle with, too?

Now you know the thoughts in my head that I hope keep me from going willy-nilly with the yeses in life. I haven’t been asked to fill a big role in full-time ministry in this season. I’m being asked to be present and look for the little yes (with bigger impact than I’ll probably know) in everyday life.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on saying yes this week. Have you found a good way to identify the things “prepared in advance” for you? How has God shown you your beautiful asks and tasks that lay in front of you each day? Have you thought about it? If not, what will you do next?

Thanks for reading! Join the conversation this week and share your thoughts on how you come to your best, solid yes to God and others. I’d love to read what you have to say.

The Interpersonal Perspective Shift

06.14.2016 by Jennifer Howe //

I (Jennifer) was hesitant to write June’s post when the topic was selected, if I can be completely transparent. My first concern was which person I would choose to write about. After some team brainstorming, I realized I had an opportunity to reflect on how far I’d come in my thinking. The question caused me to wrestle with the process of an interpersonal perspective shift, and I’m grateful to have worked through it far enough to share some ideas.

I have the chance to do slices of life with all kinds of characters. Some are genuinely kind, making for sweet memories. Some people are rough and raw. A good number are aggravating or irritating. A handful are uniquely troublesome. I love my favorites, but this post wants to be about the difficult relationships, the people who have done real damage in some cases.

How does God change our perspective about someone else? Simply put, this will take time. We need to pause. Sometimes for a long while. More than once.

For me, it all began with a sentence—

So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. Genesis 1:27 CSB

These words made perfect sense in the context of two people created at the beginning of humanity’s timeline. I found it easy to imagine my favorite friends conceived in the mind of God and carefully designed by his hands. But those other people, what about them? Sometimes it felt nearly impossible to view them positively. Admittedly, it’s a challenge, but here’s what I’ve learned about the process of the interpersonal perspective shift.

Last month I saw the Vincent van Gogh Bedrooms exhibit in Chicago with friends. (Two things I love: girl time and creative arts!) Vincent—troubled soul that he was—is one of my favorite artists. His use of color and bold brush strokes captivate me. I giggle at his thick paint layers, thinking he really could have used a friend to help him in the resource management department. But that was his signature style. I’m drawn to his wiggly strokes and recognize his artwork simply by the strokes and his creative vision.

Bear with me. Comparing Vincent to the Creator of the universe has problems, but I couldn’t help it. The connection seemed natural.

The Creator’s artwork includes everything from atoms and molecules to black holes. Somewhere in the middle is each one of us. We are the canvases displaying intentional brush strokes and unique image composition. The Creator embeds significant purpose in each masterpiece—creating a special vision for each one.

“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Revelation 4:11

Each one of us was conceived in the mind of God with significant purpose, and our lives are intricately woven into a plan every step of the way. All of who we are displays the power of the Artist who created us.

That said, the beauty of the masterpiece has been marred by exposure to the world we live in. This world is not a perfect place, and it has left marks on each one of us in different ways.

Imagine a vandal managed to sneak into Vincent’s Bedrooms exhibit. Somehow the guards misread the intentions of the guest’s close examination and slow pauses. The hand that seemed to be digging for a sketch pad actually grabbed a can of fire engine red spray paint! Security sprang to action, but they were too late. Vincent’s blues, greens, browns, and yellows were completely obscured beneath a layer of red. What a shame! (And what a long time the vandal will spend in a small bedroom with a locked door!)

So, what’s the outcome of the vandalized Vincent? There is an authentic masterpiece painted by my favorite artist, but the only thing resembling it’s original state is the relief of the brush strokes. We might be horrified at the thought of the vandalism on Vincent’s work, but it’s not different than the Creator’s masterpieces in this world.

When I thought about the difficult characters in my life, I was reminded that they were masterpieces straight from the studio of God. That was an important first step!

“Wait! This person behaved badly, and I got caught in the crossfire. You don’t know what this person did to me!” you say.

Yes, a lot of people walk around free, seemingly without consequences.

I found a second step was necessary. For just a few minutes, I tried to withhold emotions and judgment. I just looked at the masterpiece, hoping to catch a glimpse of the brushstrokes that lay beneath the thick layer of damage to it. I wrote “Vision” and “Vandalized” at the head of two columns. When I looked at any person in my life, I hunted for qualities in them that were part of the Creator’s master work.

For one person, I listed the vision of who they were intended to be:

Intelligent

Hard-working

Conscientious buyer

Generous with gifts

The list was difficult at first because I focused on the warped version of good things: intelligence used to embarrass or shame others, an excellent work ethic shaping a workaholic, or the purchase process becoming all-consuming and leading to greed, obsession, or “champagne tastes on a soda pop paycheck.” That’s what happens when good things are misused, or when we won’t submit to biblical wisdom or the leading of the Holy Spirit. Vandalism.

Can you find the beautiful, unique brush strokes hiding beneath the thoughts, words, or actions reflecting life experience that changed everything, and not necessarily for the good? Take some time, and you’ll see it can be done. The difficult character in your life has qualities placed in them by God.

Do you know what happens when you begin to see the vision beneath the vandalism? You begin to think about the real person under there, the masterpiece that has been through marring, scarring experiences. Suddenly, God can change your perspective on someone else. When your perspective changes, maybe the relationship can, too.

Thanks for reading. Give this process a shot. See what happens when you begin to make Vision and Vandalism lists. If you do, let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear about your process!

Scripture sourced from biblestudytools.com (Crosswalk.com)