quick observations

Hello! I just returned from Cuba last night, and I want to make just a few observations about life, freedom and our calling from God.

You and I have a few things in common. God is still God. No matter where we are or what is going on we have God who loves us and has a plan for our lives. His plan includes us in His plan. And His plan includes our influence on the people around us.

How is that? We must listen. We must watch. We must get involved.

Ephesians 4:11-15 NLT

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

You have a gift from God. It might not be the same gift God has given me or given someone else, but you are gifted from God. And we have to do something with that gift after we discover what it is.

Your gift involves people. God loves people. He made the church, the world and us for people That is His greatest love. There is nothing more important than using what we have and who we are to serve others.

Make sure you are focusing on taking care of yourself. Make sure you also take care of the people around you in love.

As Henry Blackaby said years ago in his book Experiencing God, “watch to see where God is working and join Him.” He is working in the lives of the people around us. That is the place where we are to plug in and make a difference. Realize that being with Jesus will leave us and others changed. If we are not changed, we haven’t been with Jesus.

Hope that makes sense.

Spend some time today with God. Hear His voice. Watch what He does, and do what He leads you to do. He is going to use your gift and His church to change the world around you.

Keep growing up in the Lord. Let’s influence others as God has influenced us!

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