Take it out of the box

We just came out of the Christmas/New Year season. A time of giving and receiving, a time of moving out the old and bringing in the new. A gift with the lid on has a hard time being used. A gift that hasn't been taken out of the box has a hard time being used. Stay with me....but this paints a picture.

When you received God's gift of what He did for you on the cross, when you accepted that it was more than just to know He died on the cross, but that He died for you...you received more than just salvation. With that salvation came power, I'm not talking about a physical power, but a power in the spiritual realm. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives on the inside of you. The power can only be seen when we choose to plug into the power source and stay charged, but that's a blog for another day. God also gave you gifts to fulfill the purpose and calling that He picked out just for you before you were even born. You may have always seen your gift in a box as something that can only be used on special occasions or when you get to be a certain age(you know those warning labels that say not for certain ages etc.). Let 2016 be the year that you not only take the lid off of your gift, but you take it out of the box. (Then throw away the box...but I digress). God is pouring out His Spirit, but He needs you to take your lid off, to open up, to surrender...so He can fill you. It's hard to fill a container if the lid's on. There are no warning labels on your gift, if God gave it to you...He means for you and you alone to use it. You can't use it if you just keep it in the box. He designed it to be a part of you...so He can use it to flow through you.

You don't have to be a certain age, married, gender, or at a certain season in life for God to use you. He calls all of His children and has a plan for all of them. Don't let the labels of the world and denominations keep you from using the gifts that God has given you.

God have your way this year in the lives of your children. We trust you and know that each step is covered in your blood. Pour into us Lord....lids are off, hearts open, and arms outstretched...It's not about what we can do this year, but what you can do through us. Thank you Father for loving us like you do.