How Are You Spending Your Hours?

My word for 2017 is still, and I’ve been wrestling with the purpose of it. I know God placed it on my heart, but the why has been eluding me.

Meanwhile, I’ve been getting into the habit of listening to podcasts while I work. A few weeks ago I was typing away for a project when I had to pause and rewind the Declare Conference Podcast. Speaker Alli Worthington had said, “The way to be successful in life is to look for the opportunities God is giving us to use our natural gifts and abilities.” I couldn’t help feeling I needed to apply her words personally.

This year God gave our family a clean slate. My husband accepted a new job, and we moved eight hours away from our previous town. We’ve begun the process of making friends, finding a church home, and learning what makes this town unique, and with each of these processes comes new opportunities.

At the beginning of a transition like a move, our calendars can look nearly bare. Even with work commitments, a day has a lot of white space. It feels freeing at first, but if we’re not careful we’ll fill those white spaces and find ourselves busy all day, every week.

But now I’ve realized God is directing me to consider whether an opportunity will use my gifts and abilities for his glory before I put it on my calendar. That moment of stillness, of consideration, seems like a perfect filter for this season of my life.

Of course, some activities are just about having fun, and they certainly deserve calendar space. But we have only so many free hours. What would our calendars look like if most of those free hours were filled with activities that allow us to glorify God, using the gifts and talents he’s given us?

Honestly, I don’t have a complete answer to that question. I can think of several items that would not be on my calendar, but determining what should be there is a bit more challenging. My gifts may not change that much, but my ability to use them will. As my children grow, my time fluctuates. My husband is a football coach, so depending on the month, the amount of free time I have also can change. But now I have a filter to evaluate each opportunity as it arises, to consider whether it is God’s best for me personally.

By going through this process, my calendar will uniquely reflect the gifts God has given me. First Corinthians 12:4–6 says, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons” (NASB).

I hope those words are as freeing for you as they are for me. God has created us all in his image, but uniquely at the same time. As I consider what the next season of my life will include, I’m excited to see what God places in my path.

I’d love to hear how you are using your gifts and abilities as God directs. Let’s inspire one another to be successful in all our calendar appointments.

Beth Walker is a football coach’s wife and mom of two energetic boys. She strives to encourage those around her to pursue their best lives in Jesus whether she is near the game field, in church, or at the local coffee shop. As a writer, Beth has been striving to find her voice through seeing Jesus in the ordinary and extraordinary of daily life. She blogs at Lessons from the Sidelines.

Photograph © Eric Rothermel, used with permission