Sermon Notes: Work What You Got!

Hello Everyone!

Sorry, it’s been a while since my last post. This whole month I have been helping my family renovate a house to sell. Before this experience, I thought my education watching HGTV prepared me to be able to renovate houses. Now, after renovating kitchens and painting a lot of things, I think I’m prepared to join a popular HGTV show…and we can call it “Property Brothers Plus a Sister From Another Mister.”

But on to what this post is really about, working what you got. Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church preached a message called “Frozen Oil and Chosen Vessels,” that really opened my eyes. He read from 2 Kings 4, a passage where the Prophet Elisha helped a widowed woman. In that time, a husband would work and provide for the family. With her husband dead, she believed her and her sons would die soon if there were no changes in their lives. Elisha asked her what she had in the house, to which she replied, “nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil.”

At times, we can become discouraged about the amount of something that we have, especially compared to others. We can get discouraged and complain, that we don’t have as much money as we would like or time or even enough resources. And in the sermon, Pastor Steven Furtick challenges us to shift our mindset; that something is better than nothing. Although we may not make six-figure paychecks, the paycheck that we do have can provide for all of our needs…but we have to work what we got. I’m guilty of complaining about my salary versus the cost of living in my area. However, until I get another promotion, I am adjusting my budget to be more effective in reaching my financial goals.

In the same way, this shift in our thinking can be done with our time and resources. I know I’ve talked about utilizing our time in another post, but I want to talk about it again. Unlike a nickel, time is something you cannot get back (you get it? Nickelback). Anyways, most of my workdays consist of commuting to/from work and actually being at work. And you may have a similar situation, or maybe your afternoons are filled with games and practices or going to a part-time job. The time that we do have for ourselves should be spent wisely. And I believe if we get in a habit of using what time we have now, it will greatly benefit us when we have more time.

I don’t think there is a problem in desiring more; I think the problem lies in not working what you got in the present and still desiring more. If we are good stewards of our time, money, resources, etc., we will be prepared when we receive more of it. If we don’t start now with what we have, we won’t be ready for when we get more. A perfect example can be found in young athletes. Their financial illiteracy combined with their new exuberant salaries can cause them to spend their money on frivolous items and go into debt. My dream is for all of us to understand that what we have in life is something (ex: time, money, etc.) and to take advantage of it at every level.

I want to hear from you. What are some strategies that you use or some tips that you have for working what you got? Comment below. As always, thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post and want to see more like it, make sure to subscribe to my blog. I am trying to be more intentional about consistently posting every week, so you’ll never have to go too long without hearing from me. Lastly, please like this post and share it with your friends, family, co-workers, and random people on the train…Thanks again!

Love,

Britt ♥