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And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 9:8
Have you ever been in a situation where you had an opportunity to give but just didn’t do it? You were asked to donate to a worthy cause and while you could afford it, just didn’t do it?
You were asked to help with a church or community event and even though you had the time, the invitation of your couch and TV was more compelling
A group of friends invite you to a cookout but your grass needed mowing (which you never got around to doing anyway).
In 2 Corinthians 9:8, the Apostle Paul is writing regarding a financial gift the Corinthian church had committed to. He reminds them that while giving financially can be hard at times, the reward of knowing you are helping the Kingdom of God and the Body of Christ is not without reward.
While Paul is talking money here, there is a valuable principle we can sure in other areas of life. The more we give of our time, our gifts and yes, our money, the more we can see God work.
I’m not talking prosperity gospel here, I’m not saying give (out of duty) and you’ll get an unexpected check in the mail. I’ve found that the more I give of my time, the more time I tend to have. The more I use my gifts, the more enjoyment I get from seeing others encouraged.
I’ve started a practice lately that may seem rather odd or even self-serving. When time allows, I do much of my writing/studying at a local coffee shop. More often than not, someone I know will ‘stop by’ my table and chat. I’ve been able to minister and encourage in ways that I never could have sitting in my home office.
We have more than we need to accomplish God’s will for our lives. A will that we are told in Romans and elsewhere is good, pleasing and perfect. Sometimes it’s the little things we can do that make a big difference.
Use the overabundance of resources God has freely given you to give freely to others.
It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us. 2 Corinthians 1:21
When the navy commissions a ship, it is a big deal. The ship is built with care, goes through plenty of testing, and is approved to complete its mission.
Most often, commissioning is done for ships that are preparing for battle. They don’t know what battle they will see, or if they will even see battle , but their commissioning means they are ready for anything that comes their way.
The ship is well armed. The ship is prepared for battle. It always stands ready to defend our nation.

God does not commission churches. He does not have a plan for groups of people. He commissions individuals. Individuals with a specific purpose, with specific gifts, tested and prepared for battle.
You are not a product of mass production. You are individually created, tested, and given the resources you need for every battle you encounter. The battles in the workplace. The battles on social media. The battles in physical health. The battles in your mind.
Here’s the thing to remember from today forward. You are commissioned by God for todays battles.
You are his plan A, and there’s no Plan B. Go be victorious!
Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 1:7 (NLT)
Feeling inadequate?
One time I was coaching basketball. It was one of the first games of the season and the first game of ‘school ball’ for the girls on my team. Early in the game one of the kids who’d shown some real potential in practice got the ball just outside the lane. She had an open shot at the basket, but looked to pass the ball off to one of her teammates, all of whom were well guarded. I called to her from the bench and said, “Shoot the ball!”
It was as if the thought had never occurred to her. She looked at the basket tentatively and then threw up a shot that hit nothing but net. That was over 15 years ago now and I still remember the look of jubilation, shock and excitement in her face. Later she told me she didn’t think she could make the basket. She went on to be one of my top scorers.
So what kept her from shooting the ball in a game when she did it often in practice? A feeling of inadequacy. I knew she had the skills and ability. I’d seen it in practice. She on the other hand had herself believing that her skill level wasn’t adequate.
The most successful people in the world are those who overcome their feelings of inadequacy and move forward in spite of them. They see a problem as a challenge, not an obstacle. They have no time for the reasons that something can’t be done, the look for ways it CAN be done.
When Jesus left the disciples on the hillside outside Jerusalem he reminded them of their challenge while he was gone. They would be his witnesses. This bunch of uneducated, obscure men and women were left with the challenge of starting a whole new movement. But he didn’t leave them without power. He didn’t leave them without the gifts they would need to accomplish the task of building relationships and teaching about him.
Paul says, “Now you have every spiritual gift you need.”
Few outside ministry realize the huge feelings of inadequacy we in ministry face every week. Our reminder, whether our ministry is up front or in the corner; at the church or in the workplace; as a career person or a stay-at-home parent is this. You have all the gifts you need to accomplish your task. Go in the power of the Holy Spirit and act within your giftedness to do the work of reconciliation.
PRAYER: Father, even though I ‘know’ you have empowered me, I still feel weak. I still fight the false feelings of inadequacy. Help me to live in the power of your Spirit and the realm of my giftedness in Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 