TAKE CARE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE

I remember when I was in high school and I got my license, I had to drive my mom’s old mini-van. I have an older brother and an older sister, so the car had been passed down through them as well. We each had our fair share of damage to the van; we basically drove that thing in to its grave. But I remember when each of us were dealing with that car, each of us would ALWAYS complain about how whack it was, how ugly it was, how much noise it made, how our friends would make fun of us for driving it, how it was butchering our “swag” or reputation… But my dad would just say, “Why would I get you a new car if you can’t even take care of the one you already have?” And he was right… we treated that car like the piece of crap we believed it was…never washed it, ate in it ALL of the time and left the remnants of fast food bags/cups/whatever, threw our sports gear in it like it was a closet…we even took out the middle seat and turned it from a 7-seater to a 5-seater so we could have more space to throw our junk… but yet we expected him to get us a new car??? Yes, the car wasn’t sexy, but it was nicer than the non-existing cars of the friends who were making fun of me. But of course I didn’t realize that then, as a teenage girl who thought reputation was everything. 

Instead of taking care of what I was already given, I was focusing on what other’s had and what I didn’t have and I was making matters worse.  How could I expect more if I wasn’t taking care of what I already had?  What are you doing with things that you already have? How have you used the things that you have already been given?  What have you done with the blessings that you’ve already received?

You can’t expect more if you’re not a faithful steward over what you have already been given. Farmers are very faithful stewards over their crops. They prepare the soil, plow, plant and carefully oversee and seek to protect the seeds that they plant, and then they trust that in due season, their harvest will come.  We have to be farmers when it comes to the areas in our life where we want to see increase. In the Bible, it says:

“The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.” –Deuteronomy 28:8.

It does not say the Lord will bless everything you wish or want for. No… He will bless the things you work for.  The things you put your hand to.  That means you have to go to work for your blessings. You can’t just sit around expecting more.  And you can’t expect more if you are not a faithful servant other what you already have.  Wherever you are in your life, it’s not too late to start planting yours seeds.  God wants you to be blessed…He needs you to be blessed so you can establish His kingdom on earth. In order to see increase in your life, you must start with taking care of the things you already have. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Blessings and Love,

Marti Reed