Are you using what God has given you?

Do you remember Shamgar? He doesn’t make mention in Hebrews 11 “hall of faith” and barely fills a verse in Judges but “he too saved Israel” (Judges 3:31). His exploit rivals that of Gideon as Shamgar single-handedly defeated 600 Philistines with a cattle prod. That’s a long stick with a pointy end. Isn’t it like God to take the little that we give and use it to great effect?

If you’ve been tracking with YFC lately you’ve heard that we are all hands on deck as we have new ministry sites at Clovis High, Clovis North, Kerman, and Orange Cove. As quickly as we say yes to a God-given opportunity we’ve been furiously shuffling people and resources to cover them.

Last semester I was at Clovis East, and this semester I was sent to Bullard Talent to fill a gap. One of my first calls for reinforcements was to Angel. I first met Angel when he was a student leader of a YFC-sponsored Christian club at his school. We’d hang out, plan club, and talk about his walk with Christ, and all the stuff he was navigating with family and within himself. We’ve stayed in touch and now he’s married, has a beard (well he kinda always had one, lucky punk), and works full-time. Angel is a committed follower of Jesus and loves to tell people about God. So I thought I would invite him to come to Bullard Talent and reach kids with the gospel.

Angel’s first day as a volunteer ministry leader was standing before 25 kids he’d never met and sharing God’s story in his life. It was powerful! It is no small sacrifice to jump in weekly with kids and to be vulnerable with your need for God. This is the cattle prod that Angel has and by faith, we know that God uses our testimonies to defeat Satan himself! (Revelation 12:11)

Shamgar had a farming implement to wage war with. Angel had an hour a week and a God story to share. Are you using what God has given you for his kingdom?

This December the Armey-Harvey Foundation gave an extra $2,500 matching grant for Orange Cove Campus Life. This site is brand new to the community and they don’t have a lot of resources to start with. The Foundation’s act of generosity spurred on $2,500 of matching funds from others and now there’s a real ministry budget for Orange Cove. Like many of you, this Foundation gave in keeping with their God-given kingdom passion and kingdom purpose and God will use these perishable assets for eternal reward in the lives of kids.

You can bet that almost everything we do will be lost to history, barely worth a sentence of historical note. And yet God sees it all and uses it all to great effect. What’s done for God in this earthly life has an eternal impact. Invest in a kid today and God just might reach a whole generation through him tomorrow. Give for that new ministry site and God might use it to transform a school. All I surely know is that God will do God-sized things with what we devote to him and his purposes.

Friend, we are not chasing safety with our lives. We are not living for our glory. We are not endeavoring to win in the eyes of this world. No. We are running our race with perseverance, with eyes fixed on Jesus, that God would use our lives to the praise of His glory. Shamgar was outnumbered and outgunned and yet mighty in faith and God used him to save Israel in his time. Are you using what God has given you to fulfill your God-given purpose?

Has God given you time? Join us in reaching kids with the gospel. Has God given you resources? Give boldly and joyfully. And then may it be said of you, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’” (Matthew 25:23) That’s the win.

Together,

Jameson

P.S. Do you know how to share Christ with the kid in your world? Learn how with Youth For Christ’s 3-Story Evangelism Training this March! See details at yfcnow.org/event/3story