The Gift in You

The Gift in You Cannot Die

There is something so great that God has placed inside of me that I don’t know how to quit. I truly don’t. It’s not because I’m naturally strong or because life has been easy. It’s because what God placed in me is alive. It’s bigger than circumstances, bigger than disappointment, and bigger than the seasons where things didn’t work out. And the truth is—what’s in me is also in you.

Some of you feel like you’ve been lacking. Maybe you feel like you’ve been slacking, or like you just can’t make it anymore. But you can. The reason you can is because the Kingdom of God is in you. You simply have to bring it out and start using what God has placed in your hands.

Asking God “Why?”

I remember times in my life when emotions rose up, and I asked the Lord a hard question:

“Why, Lord?”

Why did I stay through the hard seasons? Why did I keep fighting for this ministry? Why did I keep standing in the call when it seemed easier to walk away?

When I searched my heart, I realized something powerful. Even when circumstances were difficult, I was free in my mind and my heart the whole time.

I know what God placed inside of me. I know the gift He invested in me to give out to others. And even if that investment doesn’t always seem to work out the way I expected, I’m going to keep investing it again and again. And again. Because I know it carries power.

A Gift That Doesn’t Die

The gift of God does not die.

It may be ignored. It may be buried. It may be resisted. But it does not die.

God placed something in you that is meant to be expressed. But there is one responsibility we cannot escape: we have to do something with it.

When I look back at the hardships Mary and I have gone through, I see something beautiful. I see the people we met along the way. I see seeds that were planted. I see investments that are still producing fruit today.

Some of those people may not even like me anymore. But they are still serving God. They are still moving forward in their calling. And when I see that, I realize something: the investment worked.

The sacrifice worked. The lifestyle of obedience worked. The call that God placed on our lives worked.

The Strength to Not Quit

Years ago, a pastor friend of my pastor sent me a message on my birthday. He said something simple but powerful: “I love your strength. I love that thing about you. One thing about you is that you don’t know how to quit.”

That stayed with me. And I want that same spirit to rise up in you.

The Fear That Paralyzes Us

Many people misunderstand God. We become so afraid of making mistakes that we hide what God has given us.

It reminds me of the servant who buried his talent. I believe fear drove him. He was afraid that if he invested it, he might lose everything. And today I see that same fear everywhere.

People are afraid to step out. Afraid to try. Afraid to say yes to God.

So they never use what God gave them.

Or they try once, something goes wrong, and they quit. Then they start over again. What was once a full talent becomes half a talent. Eventually, that half-talent gets buried because they are afraid of losing the rest. Fear will paralyze your calling if you let it.

Living in Fear Instead of Faith

Some believers live in constant fear before God. “Lord, forgive me if I sinned.”

Sometimes they say it without even knowing if they sinned. They live under such fear of doing something wrong that they end up doing nothing at all.

But that is not the heart of God. God placed greatness inside of you. And greatness requires movement. You have to start somewhere.

Mistakes Are Part of Multiplication

I believe many people—both religious and non-religious—have received Jesus, but they are still afraid to walk with Him boldly. They are afraid to say yes. Afraid to try. Afraid of making mistakes.

But here’s the truth:

Mistakes are part of the process.

You will make mistakes on the path to multiplication.

Mary and I have made bad investments. We bought things that broke down. We lost thousands of dollars along the way.

But we never stopped.

We didn’t sit there and say, “Well, I guess we’re just bad at decisions.” Instead, we got up and tried again.

Our church even fell apart four different times to a degree. People left. Seasons were painful.

But we didn’t stop.

Why?

Because the investment was still real.

And the gift that God placed inside of us was still alive.