Let me start off by saying that my friends buy me the best books. I often find myself overwhelmed by the stack of amazing titles on my bookshelf and at the end of August I found myself in that position as my friends of course bought me me more books!
One book in particular caught my attention and jumped the line to be read before the others. Its so good that I'm writing about it not as a review but to break down the effects that just one chapter in the first half of the book had on my soul. I mean this thing challenged my whole being, the conviction I felt was staggering and now it is a daily thought and prayer that the Lord would help me with this.
Okay now that I've given you more than enough preface, the book I'm referring to is, You Are The Girl For The Job : Daring to believe the God Who Calls You by Jess Connolly.
"We should beware anyone on mission, including ourselves, who speaks more of what they've been made for or what they want to build and less of the people for whom they're burdened. We should pause and pray when the conversations of our lives revolve more around our gifting and less around the groaning in our hearts for those God has given us to lead."
I mean WHHHAAAATTTTT!
I mean, take me to the altar and lay me out right now, I mean forgive me father for I have sinned, I mean I did not need my soul snatched , and my mail read like this! To be honest I have not been the same since I read this. Like who am I , where am I, and how come I have not in my 29 years realized the importance of this.
Have I been walking around saying that I love people but I really just love myself? Yes yes I have.
The reality is so many of us who are christians are in the same boat. We focus so much on the gifts wondering how to use them and neglecting to focus in on who our gifts serve. We want to be great but we forget the reasons for greatness. The gifts are not at all for our own glory but to the Glory of God. Our gifts are for the building of his kingdom and not so that the kingdom can be seen but so that it may grow. So that those who do not know Him may find healing and redemption.
So since the moment God smacked me back to reality while reading this book, ive been asking, God who do you break my heart for? I think of the young girls and women I serve, the young people struggling with their identity, the people searching for an outlet in a world that is overwhelming. I think Ive been walking around with blinders on trying not to see. Why would I do that you ask, because feeling hurts, writing hurts, bearing my heart hurts. I honestly think its supposed to, because that hurt and that brokenness, God can work with that. He can really use our gifts through that raw emotion.
So I ask you, who has God broken your heart for?
"brokenness for others is the most beautiful starting line we can ever have for ministry"
Lets talk in the comments <3
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