Use What You Have

My presentation deadline drew closer and I had absolutely no idea what I was going to share.  Seventh grade girls aren't interested in real estate.  I didn't know what I had to offer and frankly I started to question why I was even asked to present.  Each time I sought inspiration God kept saying…

Use what you have.

As I was spending time in the book of Exodus with Moses God afforded me insight.  When God called Moses to lead the people out of Egypt he didn't feel equipped.  Moses questioned if the people would listen to him.

“Then the Lord asked him, ‘What is in your hand?’  ‘A shepherd’s staff,’ Moses replied.  ‘Throw it down on the ground,’ the Lord told him.  So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake!  Moses jumped back.”Exodus 4:2-3 (NLT)

That’s when it hit me….God used exactly what Moses had to display His power.  God didn't ask Moses to go acquire a new unfamiliar tool or go pick up a sword in order to fulfill his call.  God met Moses right where he was at and utilized a standard day-to-day tool that Moses had readily available…his shepherd staff.  

It’s important to note that Moses’ went from an Egyptian prince to a shepherd which is a considerable downgrade in employment.  He probably didn't view his staff as valuable.  Moses may have even resented his staff and all that it represented. 

I think that when God calls us He’s willing to meet us right where we’re at and use what we have to display His power to those who may be unwilling to receive us on our own.  God was willing to use Moses’ shepherd staff and God is willing to use our ordinary, mundane, and familiar “staff” to display His power and contribute to our effectiveness in all that He calls us to do. 

God is not limited by what we may deem to be a useless or ordinary resource.  God just requests that we trust Him enough to use our “staff” and believe that He will provide what’s needed in the moment to ensure our success. 

So, today recognize that God wants to use what you have.  God wants to meet you where you’re at and use what you have to display His power.  Ask God to help you get over your objections with regard to using your “staff.”  Your “staff” may not seem valuable.  You may hate what you went through to acquire your “staff,” but if we follow God’s lead and accept His help He will take our ordinary and make it extraordinary.  Trust Him.  Use what you have.

Ashley Ivery is a single mother of two brilliant children, Aiden and Devyn, with an overwhelming desire to empower women and help them to realize the importance of a relationship with God.  Through her writing she hopes to encourage women to claim their strength and value in Christ.  Ashley serves as the Residential Listing Partner for Team Harris Real Estate.  She graduated from Fayetteville State University in 2012 with a BS in Psychology.  Her motto is:  "Be Authentic.  Live Honestly.  Dispel Light."