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Welcome back to Day 24 of 31 Days to a Life of Purpose!
Today, I want to talk to you about knowing your skills so that you can do what you do well. I am guilty of taking on the superwoman mentality that I can do anything and everything. Sound familiar? I feel that is what gets me into the mess of life where I am busy and overwhelmed. Having this mentality can lead us to always say yes, when sometimes we need to say no.
The Bible doesn’t say that we are called to do it all. It tells us we each have unique giftings. When the apostles could no longer perform all the needs of the believers. In Acts 6:1-7 it tells how they brought seven men alongside them to serve the believers so that the apostles could focus on preaching the message of God. These men were incredibly gifted and yet they recognized that they couldn’t do it all. Their greatest skill was preaching, so they found a way to focus on that.
What are your skills? What tasks are you good at? What tasks aren’t you good at? An important part of living on purpose is that you know your own skills and finding ways to use them. This a great opportunity for you to bless other people as well.
We also need to know when to say no. Saying yes to things we aren’t skilled at only leads to more stress. No feels taboo, but it is necessary for our own sanity. Those around us are also affected by the stress we take on by not saying no, and they are affected by the lack of time we have when we overextend ourselves.
We are not all gifted in the same way. God created us each differently, and that includes the skills we possess. Just as we see with the early church in the first chapters of Acts, being in a community means that a variety of skills and talents can be combined to accomplish far more than any individual.
How can this apply to our lives? In our homes, it is difficult for one person to take on all the tasks of caring from the home, including cooking, cleaning, laundry, yard work, etc. When we delegate chores to our children or ask our husband for help, that allows us to focus on doing our tasks well. When we try to take all of it on, something will suffer. In our churches, many positions are needed to make a church run, from pastors, teachers, and nursery workers to custodians, deacons, and secretaries, and most importantly prayer warriors. We are not each gifted with the skills each of these positions requires. When the community works together, matching the giftings of the people with the positions needed, the church as a whole benefits.
I hope you will be encourage to consider your own skills. Rather than taking on the superwoman mentality, focus on what you do well and allow others to do the same. Say no when something is not your gift or would add stress to your life because you lack the time for it. Likewise, accept when others say no without judging them for it.
Have a great Saturday, and I’ll see you tomorrow!
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The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You by Jessica Turner
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Make It Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live on Purpose. by Lara Casey
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