What I Have is Yours

The Entrusted study by Beth Moore is a study on mentoring. Beth considers herself a mentor to those she teaches, including me on the other side of the screen. Repeatedly, she says, “I don’t have much to give, but what I have is yours.” This statement is simultaneously humble and hilarious to me. Beth Moore who has devoted her life to Bible study doesn’t have much to give? I see that she genuinely believes that she is a fallible, normal human with a small amount to give, which contains truth. Yet—she has devoted her life to knowing the Bible, prayer, and ministry. She has much to give.

On the flip side, ain’t no way I have as much as Beth Moore. I have not devoted my life to these things to the same measure. I don’t view myself a mentor. But I’ll tell you what. I don’t have much to give, but what I have is yours.

Never have I ever been satisfied with just accepting Christ as my Savior and staying static. I have always wanted more. My desire for more has led to more. God has given me more of Himself over and over again, and my relationship with Him is dynamic and growing, even when I’ve been frustrated with Him. However, I’ve whined and been stale at times too. These times too have taught me and given me gifts. There is so much more to learn.

I was lucky enough to be born into a family of believers on both my dad and mom’s side of the family, but my family didn’t always know how to grow in relationship and thrive with the Lord God Almighty Himself, and for that, there have been serious consequences. Some of which I’ve lamented for my own sake. There have been Christians in the family who never broke free. We knew how to grow in knowledge, but we didn’t apply that knowledge. We were saved, but we weren’t for living the abundant life on this side of heaven. They didn’t know how to dive deep and thrive.

Family mentoring existed, and it certainly was a good gift, but I’ve wished I’d been born into a spiritually richer family. One that may have been able to save me from myself and my own ignorance by equipping me with more knowledge and less hard knocks. But, the older I am, the more grateful I am that I came from a family of believers who modeled reading the Bible, intellectual study, and prayer to me, even if I have wished for more. God has given each of us a story, and our stories are gifts. We get to decide how we will use them to advance the Kingdom further.

Earlier this week, I attended a class on biblical counseling. The teacher shared a review of his latest book, which he was also teaching from. The book, Danger Signs of an Unhealthy Dating Relationship, gives biblical advice on how to find a spouse or rather how not to find a spouse. The review he shared basically stated that if this book had been in existence when the reviewer had been choosing a mate, he/she would have heeded the warnings and recognized that they were making a poor choice. This would have saved him/her the torment of a messy and unfulfilling marriage. Now the reviewer is left with the life long process of dealing with the sins they committed ignorantly, because no one ever told them STOP!

The counseling class was truly eye-opening for me. But I left thinking about all the Christians who keep messing up because they don’t know. Some people don’t have abundance because no one has shown them how to step into abundance.

There are some things I know. My kids tease me because I regularly give them little sermons, and yet I think this is what I give my kids. My knowing, my understanding of God’s ways, my love for others in kindness and gentleness. I am learning from the Benner book (The Gift of Being Yourself)  that knowing God helps me know the self I am meant to be and walk in the fullness of who He is making me as I grow. God has given me spiritual gifts like knowledge and a teensy bit of wisdom and empathy. I do know things. Sometimes, I am so familiar with what I know that I forget that I have things to pass on to correct and set others on His Way. I am still learning, but what I have is yours as I walk the path toward Christ.

Despite the fact that I wish I had more spiritual riches, what I do have, I feel a pressing need to share even more than before. What I have is yours if you want it. Because good habits, good practices, and wisdom can change the course of a life and give a better life. Why I am I sharing this with you? I guess because I am renewing my commitment to sharing truth here in this place. And because I want to know what you need to know! If I don’t have answers, I am willing to look for them. I’m also willing to say, “I don’t know.”

This is my year of Pursue. I commit to pursue:

• Christ
• walking in righteousness
• deeper love for my husband
• teaching my children my love of God
• loving my neighbors
• writing regularly

What do you commit to do this year? Is there anything I can help you with in my writing?