There’s a chorus we sing in church that says:
All there is of me, Lord
All there is of me
Time and talent
Day by Day
All I being to thee
All there is of me, Lord
All there is of me
On thine altar
Here I lay
All there is of me
I have sung these words more times than I can count and have meant them in my heart, but will confess that I haven’t always lived out this commitment. I am coming to realize that what has kept me from truly bringing my whole self to be used by God the way he has gifted and ordained is this unspoken, subliminal, assumed expectation that I can only be one thing. That I can only be great at, known for, and hone a craft in one specific area whether that be music, communicating, writing or some other talent of notoriety. That I must choose one way to serve the Lord and be sold out to it completely for the rest of my life. But I have sensed the Spirit challenging this very narrow way of thinking and calling me to consider all the tools that God has provided me to use in obedience.
Throughout my life there have been revelations of gifts and passions instilled in my soul that I have been aware of but maybe pushed to the side because they weren’t relevant to what I was doing in the current moment. When I worked in creative arts ministry I lept fully into the world of dance, drama, and visual arts as a method of praise and worship in the church. As a social work major for both undergraduate and graduate school I embraced the ministry of presence, empathy, compassion and listening. As a pastor I discovered a passion for preaching and teaching the word of God and the power of praying with people and not just for them. As a worship leader I have had the privilege of not only singing but writing songs that tell of the goodness, grace, and mercy of God to me and for the world. All of these pieces of my life and ministry have been just that, though-pieces.
Of course I believe there are seasons of life where the Lord can use us in different ways, but my fear is that I have so compartmentalized my gifts in the past believing that they are only appropriate in certain spaces, that I am missing opportunities to both give glory to God and testify of his goodness to others. I believe the Holy Spirit in this season is teaching me that I don’t have to be just one thing. That God longs for me to understand that He’s provided every gift, talent, and longing in my soul to make good on that promise of “all there is of me”.
I want to move forward without fear and rooted in love to honor God with my whole life. So I will:
Sing
“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” -Psalm 89:1
Speak
“But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts.” - 1 Thessalonians 2:4
Counsel
“For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” - Proverbs 24:6
Write
“And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” - Habakkuk 2:2
Live
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. -Colossians 3:17
Doors are opening (I’ll be sharing more soon). Opportunities to be faithful to the calling of serving the Lord and others with everything He has given me. I don’t want to miss any of it. To get to the end of my life and know that I used every tool supplied to me to love and make Him known is worth every effort.
If you’re reading this and perhaps you, too, have felt limited, I want you to know that you’re allowed to be more than one thing. You have freedom and holy permission to live up to God’s plans for you-not man’s. What gifts do you have? Where do you feel called to serve? What if any passions have you been setting aside to live up to unrealistic expectations that others have of you (or that you have of yourself)? I pray that you are released from any fear that is holding you back to being all that your Creator has made you to be for His glory. I proclaim clarity of purpose over your life so that you can boldly walk in obedience to God’s purposes for your life and gifting.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” - Ephesians 2:10