Monday, February 24, 2014

It's Yo Thang...

...do what you wanna do.

Our society is saturated in self-gratification. We pursue jobs that are not only financially rewarding, but that are also inspiring and intriguing. Let's face it, nobody wishes to spend their days immersed in a behavior that sucks the joy out of you. So, often people find themselves either changing jobs or going back to school or seeking transfer within the business or changing careers.

If changing careers is not the answer for the fulfillment a person desires, you also see the dabbling in various hobbies or extracurricular activities. There are so many NEW hobbies to have that were completely unheard of just a decade or so ago. Flipping houses. Frisbee golf. Trash to treasure. Cupcake decorating. Jewelry made out of rubber bands for crying out loud. Regardless of what you are pursuing, you are pursuing something. The big question that must be asked is what void is it filling in your soul? You see, there are purposes for each of the activities in which we participate. Let me say that again. They should have purpose. Even relaxation is a purpose.

God has blessed us all with different talents and abilities. It is sometimes within the battle of career change or new hobby that we actually discover what our true talents and abilities are that are deep within us. Your dabbling allows you to find strengths and weaknesses, even in extracurricular. Have you ever played a sport? When you fall in love with a sport, you typically fall in love with participating in a particular role on the team. For instance, I was a setter for my volleyball team. Obviously, outside hitter was not an option for me as I am only a whopping 5'4", yet even so, I fell in love with that position and even now when we take a court just for a pickup game that is my spot. I am also loud and a talker, so I was the distractibility factor on many of my teams growing up.

Now, have you ever played a sport that you really loved, but the sport didn't love you as much? This sport took far more time and energy for you in practice and effort and the practice was not enjoyable. You find yourself engrossed in trying to prove to yourself that you can accomplish this somewhat challenging skill and yet it owns you. OWNS YOU! There is something to be said for dedication to practice and pursuance of excellence. Yet, there is also notation given to exerting great amounts of energy and resources to something that is not allowing you to pursue what is your true purpose. Throughout high school, college, and after, we watched the ever popular TV show Friends. There was an episode where a wealthy gentleman that Monica was dating decided that he was going to use his financial resources to pour into training for MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) competition. If you have seen the episode, this character was nowhere near the beginnings of preparation for MMA. Even after some time of training, his first competition left him pretty “messed up”. It’s not his thing.

Same is to say for jobs. If you are in a job that is necessary at this point in your life to pay the bills and to give you security, that is understandable. However, as you are involved in your work at where you are presently assigned, be aware that you can make it something that is pleasurable during your hours of commitment. If you allow it to control you and speak negativity to you, then you become ineffective not only at the job, but in the rest of your life. Think about it. If your job exhausts you, the tasks involved as a parent are not pleasurable as you no longer have the energy to give to your family. If your job causes you sadness, then you often just go home to escape instead of participating in other things you love.


1 Timothy 4:14 - 16 - Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

You have a gift. It does not have to be limited to one facet of your life. It needs to be used in all areas of your day to day routine. If your gift can become a job, than DO IT. If your gift can be used at your job, than do that. Seriously. If you can sing, than use that gift to spread joy to your coworkers as you skip down the hall to make copies making a joyful noise to the Lord. It allows others to see; to see God in you, to see your joy in the circumstances, to see a talent not being neglected. Find the one thing that you do well, and DO IT WELL.

Realize that your neglect of your gift by trying to be other roles in this life is causing harm not only to you, but to others. Even in volunteering, you need to be aware that though you have a heart to serve, you cannot, and should not, do everything. Shelley Gigglio spoke at a conference I recently attended and emphasized the importance of letting your “Yes” be the impact it is intended to be. Your “yes” to accepting a role can determine as to how the future of other people will unfold. The wrong “yes” can have a negative effect on people because you are in a spot ministering where you should not be. You are the wrong person investing (and exhausting) yourself, and that could actually devastate you and/or someone else. While at the same time, you are not investing where you should be and someone is missing out on God’s blessings He planned to deliver through you.

The right “yes” can change your future and the future of others for eternity. Find your thing that you do well and say “yes”.

1 comment:

Mama B said...

Amen sister! May we all realize our 'gifts' and happily skip down then hallway to make copies. Or whatever it is we do. A very wise woman once told me to watch my 'yes'. I suppose I need to go accept my 'told you so' now ;)