Fill the Gap - Stop Waiting, Start Serving

I keep wanting to write a book. I have no idea what it would be about or what it would entail, but I know I want to...someday. I keep wanting to travel more. The list I have to visit is long, and expensive, but I know I want to go see places in this world that are beautiful. I hear this theme over and over again from people. They want to have kids but they want the right career first. They want to travel, but they want a spouse first. They want to serve in the church, but they want to find time first. Let me be the first person (or the 100th) to say that waiting isn't the answer. Life passes quickly, and if you don't follow through with God's prodding when it comes, you might miss it. We have a God of second chances, but not necessarily a God of second opportunities.

Ruth, having moved to Judah with her mother in law heeded an opportunity and stepped out in risk to see what kind of life God may have for her now, knowing full well that a husband may not be in that picture. But she chose a land where God was worshiped, not another god. We read a parable by Jesus in Matthew 25 about 3 servants who are given their master's wealth to keep safe while he is away. The first servant gets 5 bags of gold to be entrusted with and returns to his master 5 more bags when he returns. The second servant gets 2 bags of gold and returns 2 more for his master. And the final servant is entrusted with 1 bag and returns the same bag, gaining no more to his master. The master is infuriated with this servant, saying he did nothing to further his wealth. Jesus uses this parable to challenge us to use what we have to further His kingdom.

We can sit on our hands and wait for "the right moment" or we can get up now and go. We have all been given an ability, words, gifts, desires, goals for a reason. God wants us to stop waiting around for us to have more money, find Mr. or Mrs. Right, land the right career, find the time, and just jump. Consider the valuable bags of gold you have been given, whether in something as simple as a smile and warm welcoming spirit, to words just longing to seep out onto a page in a book. Now is the time. Sign up to volunteer. Write the book. Go on the trip.

We build our character best in Christ when we are actively participating in His work. In order to fill the gaps in your life and know what He is calling you to do, well...you have to do something. I used to fear doing things. I want to believe that this is why I never went away to college, but stuck around locally. It worked out and ultimately, God's plan happened here, but I often wonder what that life would have been like. I feared a new place. I feared people. I still fear people sometimes. I got to a point though, where I found myself at home in serving our students - Jr. and Sr. High ladies specifically. I found a love for playing guitar and joined the praise team - talk about a step for me! I tapped into my love of traveling and joined a mission team to the Dominican Republic and since have been tied there with connections and more trips. I was able to find my place in God's plan and find where I belonged, whether or not I had a man next to me. Eventually, obviously, the man came along, but not because I was pining alone in my bedroom for him. I made a life for Jesus first, allowing Him to show me the gifts He put in me and use them to find my place for His glory. If the man never would have come, nothing would have changed in my heart in terms of serving the Lord, but now I serve alongside my guy and we challenge each other to tap into those gifts.

Start living. Stop waiting. Find what you can do NOW to be an active participant in God's plan, desiring first to expand His kingdom before trying to fill the voids of your heart. A quote I love  by Reggie Joiner is the following:

"Don't wait until you feel like it to do something. Do something in order to feel like it."

Serving God will give you a whole new, enriched energy and sense of belonging in this world with purpose. A purpose that far exceeds anything we can cook up for ourselves! Ruth went after it. And we will get to see more of her story as we plug away at this series more. God blessed her for her faithfulness in mighty ways, and He wants to use you to do awesome things for His glory too! Just get over the gaps you feel and fill them with His plans for you.

Scripture to Read:
Ruth 2:1-3, Matthew 25:14-30

Questions to Ponder:
How did Ruth take a risk and serve God by taking care of her mother in law?
What are some things God has put on your heart to do? How do you know they are His desires?
What are you going to do in order to serve God and furthering His kingdom rather than waiting for "the right time"?