Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Ephesians 3:20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
Every day, we have two choices. We can view our responsibilities as a gift from God and work heartily, or we can approach them with a "do what I've got to do to get through it" mindset. But God didn't create us just to get by. He had something far better in mind - a fruitful life of purpose, passion, and adventure.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. eloquently said, "Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself." What a powerful prayer! Each morning, we, too, have the opportunity to say, "God, use me and show me how to make the most of this day!" When we make ourselves available to Him, He'll present us with numerous opportunities to get outside of ourselves and work for His purposes and serve others.
Of course, we all have our days. Sometimes all we feel like doing is crawling back into bed. Other days we're faced with numerous distractions, too many choices, endless interruptions, and it seems like we can't get anything accomplished. How can we serve others if we can't even accomplish the tasks at hand? We simply say, "God, help me!" When we are doing the will of God and we ask Him for help, He will deliver ten times out of ten. He will renew our strength and do "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power at work within us."
Create your own "Show me, Use me, Help me" prayer. Write down what you want God to show you, pray for opportunities to be used by Him, and thank Him in advance for empowering you to accomplish the work.
Heavenly Father, In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., "Use me, God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself." In Jesus' name, Amen!