I Choose Today...

I Choose Today to Nurture My God-Given Gifts

In Romans 12, we learn that the unique gifts God gives us reflect different facets of Christ’s character. Christ is the embodiment of all these gifts, and we, as His body, represent parts of Him. Romans 12:4-5 reminds us, “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Each of us has a unique role, and together we form a complete picture of His love and purpose. To fulfill this purpose, we must first recognize the gifts God has placed in us. We need to cultivate and use these gifts to bring Him glory, growing them through discipline and commitment. God has given each of us a “bent” toward certain gifts, but it’s our responsibility to nurture and develop them into maturity so they can be used fully for His kingdom. I recently learned something that blew my mind—the manna God provided to the Israelites in the wilderness wasn’t fully made bread; it was a seed. Numbers 11:7-8 (NLT) tells us, “The manna looked like small coriander seeds, and it was pale yellow like gum

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I Choose Today to Grow Little by Little

Do you remember the movie Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? There is a scene in the movie where spoiled child, Veruca Salt, wants a goose that lays golden eggs. She starts to sing about all the things she wants now, “Gooses, geeses I want my geese to lay gold eggs for easter At least a hundred a day And by the way, I want…” She describes all she wants: feasts, sweets, parties, balloons. She is not just satisfied with those things, so she proclaims she wants: the whole world, today, tomorrow. She didn’t care how she got them, she wanted them NOW! The scene ends with her standing on the machine that decides whether she is a good or bad egg. It decides she is bad and the scene ends with her going into the garbage dumpster, and Willie Wonka saying “that’s one bad egg.” This is a gross exaggeration of wanting what we want and wanting it now, but there is some truth in it, or is it just me? “The Lord your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals

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I Choose Today Change My Tools…

In my mind’s eye, everyone has a life tool chest. Before I became a Christian, it was filled with survival tools of which I used to survive. But when I became a believer, God started replacing those survival tools with tools equipping me to thrive. These tools were derived from studying and reading the Word of God and prayer, and through trials, perseverance, experience. That is why James says, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬. With each trial is an opportunity to build life’s tool chest; tools we can use to be successful in all we do and go through. I think of Joseph who went through trial after trial, but God used the tools he accumulated during those trials to make Joseph the leader God designed him to be. I believe God is doing that in my life. I believe He has replaced those survival tools I once

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