You might be encouraged by this story from a recent trip to Sri Lanka. My grandfather is 96 years old yet doing very well. Years ago he began trusting God for his health and God continues to bless him.
Because he is doing good health wise he was able to travel some with my wife and daughter and two of my cousins. One of the special moments on the trip was when we went to Fridsro Orphanage. This is especially cool since my grandfather went to Bible school with the man who founded the place. Jacob, the founder, is 81 so between him and my grandfather there was 177 years of life experience.
After hearing stories of God’s faithfulness, visiting the site and having lunch it was close to time to leave. The ladies had already gone outside and the only ones in the room was Jacob, my grandfather, my cousin and I. My cousin and I listened to a conversation that grabbed my heart.
Jacob was sharing all of the work that God had allowed them to do over the years with the orphanage. My grandfather then basically said that God had given Jacob faith for that kind of work. He then shared about another college classmate who God had used to build one of the largest churches in the country. He had the faith for that.
It reminds me of these verses. Romans 12:3-8 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
What has God given you faith for? You do not need to be someone else? Be who God has called you to be. But the way my grandfather said it makes me think of an important fact. Not only must we be who God has called us to be, but we must stretch ourselves in that area. Whatever gift God has given you stretch yourself. I pray that if God lets me live to 96, I will look back and see that I used the gifts that God gave me to the limits. Will you?
