Christians Don’t have Shelf Lives
By Jennifer Slattery
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16
Do you ever feel like God’s put you on the shelf—indefinitely? You long to serve, do something significant, but life seems to get in the way in the form of endless diaper changing and naptimes. Caring for a sick family member. Maybe pushing through sickness yourself.
Countless things can hinder our service—of our living out God’s mission … if we let them. But believers don’t have shelf lives. God has a vitally important job for us to do—one only we can do—at each stage of our lives, whether we’re changing diapers or sharing encouragement with a nursing home friend. So often, it’s not our circumstances that hold us back, but instead, our view of them.
Ephesians 5:15-16 tells us to be careful, intentional, and wise about how we use our time, always striving to maximize each moment for Christ.
This means being alert to God moments and surrendering our agendas to Him. This means trusting that He does indeed have a plan for us, our lives, and how He longs to use us. The next time you begin to feel as if you’ve been shelved, resist the urge to wallow in discouragement. Turn to God in prayer instead, asking Him to show you how you can live carefully, actively, and intentionally in each moment. Because when we live for Him, everything has eternal value.
Jennifer Slattery is a writer, editor, speaker, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She writes for Crosswalk, is the author of eight contemporary novels, and helped write Wholly Loved’s Bible study based on the life of Sarai (Gen. 12-23) titled Becoming His Princess, releasing in the spring/summer of 2019. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer loves going on mall outings with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously fun husband. Visit her online at jenniferslatterylivesoutloud.com.
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Originally published Thursday, 13 June 2024.
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