WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.040 --> 00:00:06.519 Hello everybody, this is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. Thank you so much for 2 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:10.759 joining us today, and if you're brand new, welcome to the Daily Hope 3 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:15.119 family. We hope you'll enjoy the teachings of Pastor Rick Warren right here. 4 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:19.320 I'm so excited for all of you to learn about your shape. It might 5 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:23.719 not be the shape you're thinking of right now. Rick loves to use acrostics 6 00:00:23.839 --> 00:00:31.679 and this one is shape your shape, your spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, 7 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:36.600 personality, and experiences. And one of the reasons I love this series 8 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:40.479 and have shared it with so many friends is because Rick talks about the way 9 00:00:40.560 --> 00:00:44.840 God wired you and why you need not just know your shape, but how 10 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:49.439 to use it to do the things that God designed you to do. And 11 00:00:49.479 --> 00:00:54.679 now another great message from Pastor Rick. This is the final part called using 12 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:59.240 your abilities. So God says, I expect you to use your abilities first 13 00:00:59.240 --> 00:01:03.200 to serve to honor me and second to serve others. Number three, to 14 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.719 make a living. God says, I gave you your abilities in order to 15 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:10.519 make a living. I don't want you to mouching off other people. I 16 00:01:10.640 --> 00:01:12.319 want you to be self supporting. I don't want you to be a parasite. 17 00:01:12.680 --> 00:01:17.400 I'm not going to be depending on other people. If you can work, 18 00:01:17.560 --> 00:01:22.280 he says, you should work. Now. Some people can't because of 19 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:26.200 disabilities or problems or circumstances. But he said, if you can work, 20 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:30.079 you should, And he says, I want you to use your abilities to 21 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:33.959 make a living. Now, you need to realize that in the twenty first 22 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.560 century, people are going to live a whole lot longer than their parents did, 23 00:01:38.879 --> 00:01:42.040 which means, in all likelihood, you're going to have probably at least 24 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:47.000 two careers in your lifetime. A lot of times people only had one career 25 00:01:47.000 --> 00:01:49.719 because they died when they were in their forties or even in their thirties for 26 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:55.560 centuries, but now people are living longer and longer long and all likelihood is 27 00:01:55.560 --> 00:02:00.359 you're going to probably have at least two different careers in your lifetime. And 28 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:02.239 so he says, I want you to make a living now. On verse 29 00:02:02.719 --> 00:02:08.439 Deuteronomy eight, verse eighteen, he says this, remember the Lord your God, 30 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:15.680 for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth. Did 31 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:21.240 you know that producing wealth is an ability? Some of you are really good 32 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:24.080 at this. You have a natural ability. God has gifted you with a 33 00:02:24.120 --> 00:02:29.240 great business sense, and you just are naturally good at making money. That 34 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:32.120 is your ability. Can you make money to the glory of God? Well, 35 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:36.639 of course you can. You can do anything to the glory of God. 36 00:02:36.840 --> 00:02:38.240 You can make money to the glory of God. If you're honoring him, 37 00:02:38.280 --> 00:02:43.280 you're grateful to him, you're tithing, you're living ethically, You're doing 38 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:49.759 it for his glory. God's given some of you amazing ministry or business skills 39 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.919 because he wants you to fund Kingdom projects that saddleback and around the world. 40 00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:58.479 And that's why He has given you that ability. Number five. God says, 41 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:00.319 I gave you or number four, I give you abilities to be an 42 00:03:00.400 --> 00:03:06.120 example to others, to be an example to others. God says, I 43 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:12.120 want you to be a witness, a testimony, an example to other people. 44 00:03:13.759 --> 00:03:16.560 First, Timothy Ford, it says, put these abilities to work. 45 00:03:17.719 --> 00:03:25.240 Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone may notice your improvement and progress. 46 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:30.000 Did you know that God wants people to notice your good work? He said, 47 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:34.800 I want people to see how gifted, what abilities you have. I 48 00:03:34.840 --> 00:03:38.120 want them to see your improvement. I want them to see your progress. 49 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:40.800 You're developing the skills, the abilities, the talents, that I gave you. 50 00:03:40.960 --> 00:03:44.759 He says, that makes me look good as your father's, your heavenly 51 00:03:44.840 --> 00:03:49.479 father. I want people to notice, and he said, I want people 52 00:03:49.560 --> 00:03:52.520 to know that my children, people are in God's family, are the best 53 00:03:52.520 --> 00:03:57.639 workers on the planet. They're reliable, they're hard working, they have integrity, 54 00:03:57.639 --> 00:04:00.080 they're dependable, they're skilled. He said, I want you to be 55 00:04:00.120 --> 00:04:04.120 an example number five. I want you to use your skills. God says, 56 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:10.680 to have money to share. To have money to share with people who 57 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:15.520 can't work or who are poor for one reason or another. Maybe they've had 58 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:19.680 a crisis or a tragedy Ephesians four to twenty eight. He says this. 59 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:27.959 The Bible says, begin using your hands for honest work, and then give 60 00:04:28.120 --> 00:04:30.879 generously to others in need. He says, you know what, at some 61 00:04:31.040 --> 00:04:34.800 point you have to decide enough is enough? Now? How much? How 62 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.639 do you know when enough's enough? Somebody asked, howard use that? He 63 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:41.839 said, when do you have enough? He said? How much do you 64 00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:46.920 need? He said, just a little bit more? And that's called materialism. 65 00:04:46.120 --> 00:04:51.040 Materialism is when you haven't learned to live within your income. You always 66 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:55.360 have to have a little bit more. It's interesting how you're now barely surviving 67 00:04:55.399 --> 00:05:00.240 on an income you once dreamed of having, because your expenses always go up 68 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:02.560 with your income. And God says, at some point you got to say 69 00:05:02.759 --> 00:05:06.560 I got enough, I'm happy, And then you start why you stop working? 70 00:05:06.600 --> 00:05:11.240 Then no, you keep working, but you're now making it to give 71 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.439 it away, and you're making it to share with other people, share with 72 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:21.199 others. Look at this verse up on the screen. Give freely and spontaneously. 73 00:05:21.920 --> 00:05:27.160 Don't have a stingy heart. The way you handle matters like this. 74 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:30.800 He's talking about the way you handle the money you make from your abilities, 75 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:33.759 the money that comes in because of your abilities. The way you handle matters 76 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:42.879 like this triggers God. Your God's blessing in everything you do, all your 77 00:05:42.920 --> 00:05:46.079 work and ventures. Now leave that verse up there for a minute. How 78 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:50.279 many of you would like God's blessing in everything you do, in all your 79 00:05:50.319 --> 00:05:54.279 work and all your ventures. How many of you like God's blessing that? 80 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.240 Well, of course we all would, It says there, there's a trigger 81 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:03.560 that triggers God's blessing. And what is it? It is generosity. Generosity 82 00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:10.639 triggers God's blessing. Why Because God is generous? Everything you have in life 83 00:06:10.720 --> 00:06:14.519 is a gift of God's generosity. You would have nothing without God's generosity. 84 00:06:15.480 --> 00:06:16.600 And so God says, I want you to learn to be like me, 85 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:19.879 like father, like son, like father, like daughter. I want you 86 00:06:19.959 --> 00:06:24.480 to my children, to have my quality. You're never going to be like 87 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:29.399 Jesus Christ unless you learn generosity and stop learning to be stingy. So God 88 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:30.399 says, I want you to learn to be generous. And so he says, 89 00:06:30.399 --> 00:06:33.879 we'll just make a little thing here. When you're generous, it triggers 90 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:40.240 God's blessing in your life. I want to tell you I have learned from 91 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:46.160 personal experience that the more generous you are, the more God blesses your life. 92 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:51.720 I know this from experience. The more generous you are, the more 93 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:57.600 God blesses your life. And he says, I've given you this money, 94 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.079 this ability to honor me, to serve others, to make a living, 95 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:04.519 to be an example, to have money to pass on to others who don't 96 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:08.720 have any money. And then number six on the back of your line, 97 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:14.360 to build up the church. That's the sixth reason he gives your ability to 98 00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:16.439 build up the church. That's what is the church. It's the family of 99 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:21.959 God. And Ephesians chapter four says this, Why is it that God gives 100 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:27.920 us these special abilities to do certain things? Best? It is that God's 101 00:07:28.079 --> 00:07:34.120 people will be equipped to do better work for him, building up the church, 102 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:41.439 the body of Christ, to a position of strength and maturity. Did 103 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:46.639 you know that God expects you to use your abilities to help your church family. 104 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:49.800 I don't know if you're doing that or not, but God expects you. 105 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:54.560 It's one of the six reasons He gave you abilities to help your church 106 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:58.959 family in some way. Now, I know some of you thinking, Rick, 107 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.959 I don't know. I don't know I could help. The abilities that 108 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:07.000 I use at my work I don't think are needed or necessary at Saddleback Church. 109 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:13.759 Well you're wrong. You're wrong. There is no ability that you have 110 00:08:13.879 --> 00:08:16.120 that could not be used in this church. Well, I'm a good negotiator. 111 00:08:16.120 --> 00:08:20.160 We need negotiators. I'm a deal closer. We need deal closers. 112 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:24.399 I'm an accountant. We need accountants. I know how to weave baskets. 113 00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:28.839 We need a basket. You know, there is no talent that you've got 114 00:08:30.680 --> 00:08:35.840 that could not be used in this church. In fact, God places specifically 115 00:08:35.919 --> 00:08:39.279 in each church the talent that he knows that church is going to need. 116 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.720 And have you ever thought about why am I here? Out of all of 117 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:48.399 the billions of people that God could have put in saddle Back Church? He 118 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:52.600 put you here? Why? Because you have something to offer that this church 119 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:58.679 family, your church family needs and nobody else can offer it like you can. 120 00:08:58.360 --> 00:09:01.320 And He knows the exactly who's here, because He knows exactly what He 121 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:07.480 wants to do through this particular church. And I'll tell you my personal frustration 122 00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:13.799 as your pastor is I look at all the talent that is rotting, that's 123 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:18.039 wasted that I know every week sitting out here in all of our services is 124 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:24.039 enormous amounts of talent and abilities. And I don't know about it, and 125 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:26.879 the other pastors don't know about it, and the other church leaders don't know 126 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:31.600 about it. And unless you come forward and volunteer in some way, we 127 00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:35.559 don't ever know. And what happens. You get cheated, The church gets 128 00:09:35.639 --> 00:09:39.440 cheated, the world gets cheated. First, you get cheated of rewards that 129 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.879 God wants to give you. The church gets cheated of the talent, and 130 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:48.879 the world gets cheated of the way the church can impact the world. How 131 00:09:48.879 --> 00:09:54.360 could your abilities make a difference in this place. Now, of these six 132 00:09:54.559 --> 00:10:00.440 ways, six things that God gives you your abilities to do to honor Him, 133 00:10:00.600 --> 00:10:03.360 to serve others, to make a living, to be an example, 134 00:10:03.480 --> 00:10:05.720 to have some money, to give to people who don't have any money, 135 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:11.080 and to help your church grow. What if you don't use your abilities these 136 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:16.919 six ways, well you lose. The world loses, the church loses, 137 00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:22.639 but you lose. You not only lose reward in heaven. You can lose 138 00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:26.720 your talent. You see, there's a universal law of life that says, 139 00:10:26.759 --> 00:10:31.399 if you don't use it, you lose it. Jesus said it like this 140 00:10:31.440 --> 00:10:35.919 in Matthew twenty five. Take the talent from him who didn't use it, 141 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:39.240 and give it to the one who has ten talents. Did you know that 142 00:10:39.279 --> 00:10:45.279 God has the right to take back anything that I don't use properly. If 143 00:10:45.320 --> 00:10:46.759 I don't use what He's given me in the right way, for the right 144 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:50.679 reason, he can take it back. Jesus said, to whom much is 145 00:10:50.720 --> 00:10:56.799 given, much is required. Now this universal law is this, if I 146 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:00.840 don't use them my talents, then I lose them. True in every area 147 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:05.200 of life. If you don't use your muscle and exercise you lose your muscle. 148 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:09.720 If you don't lose your talent and practice and keep it up, you 149 00:11:09.879 --> 00:11:15.360 lose your talent. If you don't use your mind and keep it go and 150 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:20.320 keep it active, your mind goes dull and you lose mental capacity. If 151 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:24.639 you don't lose it, use it. And guys, women, whoever you 152 00:11:24.679 --> 00:11:28.399 are, who are employers, if you don't use the talent of the people 153 00:11:28.440 --> 00:11:33.759 at work, you lose those people because they're not going to hang out with 154 00:11:33.759 --> 00:11:37.840 a place that doesn't use their talent. Now, all of us have unused 155 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:41.720 abilities. You do, I do, everybody does. So let's look real 156 00:11:41.799 --> 00:11:48.080 quickly at using your abilities. Three things. How do you use your abilities 157 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:50.919 the way God wants you to use them? Well, you estimate, You 158 00:11:50.039 --> 00:11:56.000 dedicate, and you cultivate. First, you estimate them, estimate them Romans 159 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:01.480 twelve three. Try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light 160 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:03.799 of the faith God has given you. That means, do an assessment of 161 00:12:03.840 --> 00:12:07.240 your life. What am I good at? We've talked about this every week. 162 00:12:07.960 --> 00:12:11.120 Do an audit of your abilities. Make a list. If there's one 163 00:12:11.159 --> 00:12:15.200 thing I could say to young people today, if you want to prepare for 164 00:12:15.240 --> 00:12:20.159 the future. Here it is know your strengths, you know your weaknesses. 165 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:24.480 You need to know your strengths. If you're going to be effective in the 166 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:31.519 twenty first century, you got to know your strengths, use them, estimate 167 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:35.639 your capabilities by the light of faith God has given you and by the way 168 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.039 parents you need to This is one of the key goals of parenting. Help 169 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.639 your kids understand their shape, what they're good at. See, there is 170 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:46.679 a myth that you're aware of all your abilities. You're not. You are 171 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:48.759 only aware of some of your abilities. You have far more abilities than you 172 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:54.600 think you have. You don't even know them. Many talents. If you're 173 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:58.799 a good manager. The trade of a good manager is the ability to recognize 174 00:12:58.799 --> 00:13:03.440 a ability. That's what makes a good manager, the ability to recognize the 175 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:07.200 ability. And if you're a parent, look for the abilities and your kids 176 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:09.919 and point it out. You know what you're good at. Number two, 177 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:13.840 dedicate Dedicate them back to God. Commit them to God for the use he 178 00:13:13.879 --> 00:13:20.480 intended. Romans twelve to one says, offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to 179 00:13:20.519 --> 00:13:24.360 God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. You say, God, 180 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:26.200 you gave me these abilities. Now I'm going to give them back to 181 00:13:26.240 --> 00:13:30.360 you, and I want to use them for the six reasons you gave them 182 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:33.240 to me. Tewond Tim of the two twenty one. If you stay away 183 00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:41.639 from sin, Christ himself can use you for his highest purposes. See God 184 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:46.000 given abilities can be used for the wrong purpose. A God given ability can 185 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:50.840 be used for the wrong reason. You could be a brilliant organizer and you 186 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:56.519 could either organize a rescue or organize a robbery. You know, all these 187 00:13:56.559 --> 00:14:03.080 brilliant, brilliant criminals, they're using God given abilities. God gave him that 188 00:14:03.159 --> 00:14:07.120 ability to think through things and how to solve things. They're just using them 189 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:13.240 for selfish purposes, and so sharpening your skill is an important thing. Don't 190 00:14:13.320 --> 00:14:16.279 use them for selfish reasons, but unselfish reasons. You want a good example, 191 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.320 this is a guy in a Bible called Samson, the guy with the 192 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:22.799 long hair, probably the most talented guy in the Bible. Wasted his life, 193 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:28.679 wasted his abilities, blew it really because of sex. The third thing 194 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:35.840 is cultivate them. Cultivate your abilities. That means practice, improve, sharpen, 195 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:43.720 develop, cultivate any ability God's given you can be increased with use and 196 00:14:43.919 --> 00:14:48.320 practice, and the Bible, says an Ecclesiastes ten ten. If the axe 197 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:52.279 is dull and its edge is unsharpened, more strength is needed. But skill 198 00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:56.279 will bring what success. You want to be successful? It takes skill. 199 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:01.559 How do he get skilled? Practice says you need to sharpen your acts. 200 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:05.000 You've got a dull ax. Takes more energy, He says, work smarter, 201 00:15:05.240 --> 00:15:09.879 not harder. Sharpen your acts, and then you can be more successful 202 00:15:09.879 --> 00:15:16.559 in life. Sharpening your abilities, your aptitudes, your skills is a spiritual 203 00:15:16.679 --> 00:15:22.120 responsibility. Now let me just cut to the bottom line on this. God 204 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:28.240 has made an enormous investment in you. First he created you, Second he 205 00:15:28.399 --> 00:15:31.399 shaped you, and he puts spiritual gifts and ability and personality. All these 206 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:35.000 things he put it in you. Then he sent Jesus to die for you. 207 00:15:35.159 --> 00:15:39.000 God has made an incredible investment in your life, and he expects a 208 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:46.759 return on his investment. He expects a return on his investment, and he's 209 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:48.759 going to ask you one day, what did you do with what you were 210 00:15:48.759 --> 00:15:52.480 giving. Did you use your abilities to honor me, to serve others, 211 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.000 to make a living, to be an example. Did you use them to 212 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:00.120 help other people? Did you use them to help the church. Did you 213 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:03.559 use it to make some money to give away? What did you do with 214 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:10.679 what you were given? God expects a return on his investment. One day, 215 00:16:11.320 --> 00:16:14.399 Jesus is going to call you home. Either you're going to die, 216 00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:15.519 or he's going to come back, one way or the other. First, 217 00:16:15.840 --> 00:16:21.240 in Luke twelve, Jesus said this, when the Master comes back, that's 218 00:16:21.279 --> 00:16:26.279 God and he finds his servant doing his work. In other words, what 219 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:32.840 you were gifted and shaped and able to do, that servant will be blessed. 220 00:16:33.120 --> 00:16:38.159 I want you to have that blessing when that time comes in your life. 221 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:45.519 I don't want God to find you lounging around wasting your talent. I 222 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:51.240 want him finding you using your abilities in the six ways that God intended. 223 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:59.200 That's pow our heads. I want you to thank God right now, thank 224 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:06.799 God for the abilities he's given you. Say, God, I don't even 225 00:17:06.839 --> 00:17:11.119 know all abilities I've got, but I thank you for them. Help me 226 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:17.480 to discover them today. I dedicate them back to you. I want to 227 00:17:17.559 --> 00:17:22.200 use what you've given me for your purposes, and I want to cultivate them. 228 00:17:22.240 --> 00:17:26.839 I want to get better at what I'm doing, and I want to 229 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:30.799 honor you by being the best I can be. I want to use my 230 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:38.799 abilities to honor you, to serve others, to make a living, to 231 00:17:38.880 --> 00:17:45.279 be an example. I want to use my abilities to have money to share 232 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:49.519 with those who are poor, and to help my church grow and reach out. 233 00:17:52.680 --> 00:18:02.519 And I pray this in your name. Amen. What a great and 234 00:18:02.680 --> 00:18:07.599 timely message today. Let's end our show with a closing thought from pastor Rick. 235 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:11.240 When you give your time and your energy, and your talent and finances 236 00:18:11.240 --> 00:18:14.759 to God, even when you don't have a lot of these things, God 237 00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:18.880 takes notice and it is pleasing to him. That's because you're showing him that 238 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:22.920 you can be trusted with the things he gives you, and that you're developing 239 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:29.400 one of his most important characteristics, generosity. God is infinitely generous, and 240 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:33.440 he's pleased when you're generous too. When God gives you something like a talent 241 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:38.319 or an ability or money that is to be considered a trust. It means 242 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:44.160 that God trusts you to use it for good and for God. When we 243 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:47.960 use what God has given us to help others, we show our faith in 244 00:18:48.039 --> 00:18:52.000 God. The Bible says, now it is required that those who've been given 245 00:18:52.000 --> 00:18:56.720 a trust must prove faithful. That's First Corinthians, Chapter four, verse two. 246 00:18:57.680 --> 00:19:00.960 The size of what you have to give is important. What God is 247 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:06.000 watching is what you do with what He's given to you. He doesn't give 248 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:08.480 you time or talent or money for your own benefit. He gives them to 249 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:12.720 us for the benefit of others. Now, of course, it's easy to 250 00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:17.559 be generous when you have a lot to give, but faithful people are generous 251 00:19:17.960 --> 00:19:22.200 even when their resources are in short supply. Because being generous, even when 252 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:27.000 you don't think you can be generous, is a step of faith. Giving 253 00:19:27.079 --> 00:19:32.799 even when I don't have it causes me to trust God helps me to become 254 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:37.079 more faithful, and that pleases God when he sees that you're going to trust 255 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:41.200 him even when you don't understand how it will all work out. Now, 256 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:45.119 here's the thing to remember. When I do all that God tells me to 257 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:49.599 do, he does what I can't do. If you don't use the gifts 258 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:52.839 that God has given you to help others, then we're all missing out, 259 00:19:53.319 --> 00:19:59.519 and that includes you, because you were shaped to serve others. Now, 260 00:20:00.119 --> 00:20:03.000 choice, we can live our lives for ourselves, or we can live our 261 00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:07.720 lives for something bigger than ourselves. Generosity is one of the ways that God 262 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:12.519 pulls us out of our selfishness and into His bigger plan for our lives. 263 00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:18.240 I guarantee you, because God guarantees it that if you step forward in faith, 264 00:20:18.920 --> 00:20:26.039 in faithful generosity, God will do amazing things in and through your life. 265 00:20:26.200 --> 00:20:30.480 I've watched Him do it in my life for over forty years. I'm 266 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:33.160 Rick, be sure to join us next time as we look to God's word 267 00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:38.160 for our daily hope. This program is sponsored by Pastor Rick's Daily Hope and 268 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:41.480 your generous financial support.