Did you know that God has a call and a plan for your life - A unique ministry that you were created for?
Ephesians 2:10 God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do. (GNB)
Over the weekend my husband and I had the chance to go on a road trip together. As we prepared to drive for five hours, we stopped at a convenience store to buy some water and gum. Just as we had gotten back into our car, a man started knocing on my husbands window. He was a young man, with a crew cut and glasses. He had visible tatoos all over his body. I was praying for protection!
My husband opened the window to see what he wanted (I wouldn't have done that!!). He asked us for money to pay for gas. He gave us some unlikely story of how he had been robbed at gunpoint the night before and he needed gas money to get home. My hubby reached into his generous pocket and gave him some cash. He turned on the car and we were on the road.
Has this ever happened to you? Because this kind of thing happens ALL THE TIME to my husband! There are so many instances like this that have occurred in his life. It's always people needing money, and he always gives.
After a few minutes on the road I said, "honey, why do strangers come to you asking for money?" He laughed and said, "You know, it happens to me all of the time, and amazingly I always have cash to give them."
We both know that God's call for my husbands life is to give on every occastion as the Lord leads him. My husband is supposed to give into the Kingdom to support missions, churches, and strangers on their way.
I was baffled by this. I do believe that my husband is right on target with knowing the call on his life, but how do these strangers know?
I think it's a spiritual thing. The only explanation I can come up with - he has a spirit of giving on him and other people's spirits sense that and they come asking for money. I know this sounds wierd, but why not? If we fight not against the flesh, but againsst spirits - why not have God's spirits open the doors for us to walk through in our ministries??
Tell me what you think. I want to know if you have a grasp on your life's calling and if ministry opportunities are presented to you regularly. I'd also love to hear of any scriptures that support this. I'm so glad to have all of you, my blogging friends!!
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11 comments:
That verse in Ephesians is definitely one of the most powerful to support what you're saying--that God has absolutely prepared things for us to accomplish here. And it's by His power through the Spirit, and through the gifts that He gives us for ministry, that we do those things.
The spiritual gifts passages in Romans and I Corinthians put the emphasis on the Spirit having given us unique gifts--different varieties (even within the gifts themselves) and different effects, but the same God. If anything, they emphasize OUR need to act with those gifts, or else to abuse the privilege of having them.
Whether the door opened is for your husband, for the strangers in his life or for them both is God choice. Surely, not all of us have the gift that your husband has been given!
Through out the New Testament people come to Jesus for help, and even though he is usually on His way somewhere to teach He never turns them away and never seems "put out" that they asked for help. Even the demons know He is the Christ Son of God. In saying that I do believe that spiritually we are all connected. As Christians we are all part of one body, Christ's church. But I can not help but feel, perhaps lost souls are out there, seeking us out, and God places us in their paths so we can minister to their needs. Your husband rises to the call of those in need and keeps these divine appointments!
I think I would be scared to do what your hubby did, but as a woman, I think it is different. I think our lives journeys are about finding our ministries...which God has created in advance for us to do. Discernment and spiritual gifts play in here, as do thougthful friends who tell you "you excel at this, you should turn it into a ministry." Sometimes it takes someone else to bring our gifts to light for us.
I call it "My Sweet Spot" being right smack dab in the center of God's will...there is a comfort, peaceful, amazingly powerful, energy filled, awesomeness that surrounds me in the moment I am speaking His words and sharing His love with the people around me!!
Its almost too awesome and amazing to try and put into words...
I just know its defintely a "sweet" place to be!
I beleive a lot of us are doing what God called us to do and just don't realize it. I think some are meant to reach others through blogs just like this one.
I have been meaning to read the book " A Purpose Driven LIfe"...has anyone read that one? I might be the only one who hasn't.
I love this post. Makes you think of all the 'little' things that we do all the time in a different light. This happens to my hubby ALLLLLL the time as well.
Another thing that happens (and your post made me think of this more deeply) is that people come to us when they have serious issues going on in their lives. Every time this happens it's usually at night and we've always been home and able to sit and listen and stay up as late as needed.
God is good. We just need to pay more attention and make sure we nuture the gifts He has given us and give Him all the glory!
Thank you for sharing it. :)
~melody~
DOn't you love this about your husband. I have struggled with this over the years, and trying to model a giving spirit in these situations without enabling and I finally came to the conclusion that it's not up to me to be their Holy Spirit. I can only be accountable for my attitude and then the rest is left to the Lord. It's always a great life lesson/talking opportunity when the kids are with you, isn't it?
A woman at a gas station once asked me for money to fill her tank enough to get home. I gave her money because I felt $10 was worth losing, even if she was taking advantage of me. If I had been in her shoes I would have been glad someone had mercy on me.
Your husband is a wonderful guy! I'm with you however. I am very careful with strangers for safety reasons.
As I read this and thought about it, the first thing that came to my mind was Joseph and his brothers. Joseph saying to his brothers that what they intended for evil, God meant for good, and God used this evil for His good purposes!
I have had a lot of abuse in my own life--mental, verbal, physical--and God has led me to use these circumstances which were evil to help work good in others' lives.
I think what your husband did was wonderful. Since this seems to happen to him often, I would say that God is leading these people to him.
Beth
I was just approached a few weeks back by a woman with her little girl. She wanted $4.80 to call her mom. The Holy Spirit whispered to me, "if they ask you for your coat, give them your tunic as well."
I felt confident that I was being a blessing instead of an enabler. But that was the first thought that crossed my mind.
Something about being there and experiencig that was "invigorating"
It's so funny that I read this today because of what happened yesterday. Like your husband, people approach me all the time, only for a different reason. Total strangers will tell me their troubles and their life stories while waiting in line at the grocery store, in an elevator, or anywhere else in public. Once a relative that hadn't seen me for a long time came to visit and after we'd been out and about one day he said, "Do total strangers always just walk up to you and tell you all their troubles?"
Yesterday I was called upon four different times, once in person and three times on the phone to offer counsel for people's troubles. I've always thought I just appeared like a "safe" person, but maybe this is a calling on my life. Thanks for the insights.
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