Today we study several different passages, but they all point to 3 principles:

1) God has a plan for your child. (Jeremiah 29:11)

2) God has gifted your child to bring glory to Him and know Him through these plans. (Romans 12:6-8)

3) You are a vessel to let God’s Spirit pour encouragement of these gifts to be cultivated and to point them to hold Jesus’s hand and let Jesus walk them step by step into these plans for good, for a future, and for a hope!

I enjoyed going through the passage in Romans 12 and reflecting on which of these gifts I see emerging in my children. I hope you did too!

6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

This week I have been quick to encourage my daughter as she serves our family by helping me cook and prepare meals. She ALWAYS wants to pull a chair up to the stove and help me. Two nights ago, she insisted on making us our salads. I knew this passage was coming up in our bible study, so I encouraged her using the word “serving” and telling her God had given her a special heart to serve others. I lifted up some prayers asking God to continue to stir her heart to serve others through the love of Christ. And I will continue to allow her to help me serve.

EVEN THOUGH IT IS MESSY! EVEN THOUGH IT TAKES A LOT MORE TIME! Why? Because I see the radiant fulfillment and joy on her face when she hands her daddy his salad, with half the juice from the green olive jar mixed in with his salad dressing. Because this is how God builds and encourages his church.

We were ALL given a special gift that makes all the parts of his body work together in perfect harmony. Because God knows the plans he has for my daughter. And you can be sure, he will not let this gift go to waste. I don’t know how, or where, or when she will be serving others in the future, but He knows.

So we will keep praying, bringing the decisions that we make for them to the ONE who knows what their future holds. I pray we all do this and trust the ONE who knows their future.

✨New Here? I’m blogging through my Bible Study, “Refocused: Fixing your eyes in Jesus for the road ahead.”

This week is Motherhood Week!

Next week we wrap up with Home Week!

I hope you’ll follow along!

Resources below:Download the study free HERE

OR

You can can buy the study here: Refocused Bible Study

Praying for you!

Amy