God has a plan for your life and a purpose for your future.
No matter what you’ve been through or what’s been done to you, if you’re still breathing God isn’t finished with you yet! Sometimes we just need to be reminded. Other times we need to be persuaded to believe it’s true.
In her new book, Your Life Still Counts, my friend and author, Tracie Miles shares how she convinced herself that God couldn’t use her. There were too many things she had done wrong. But over time as Tracie came to know Christ she realized she was the perfect candidate for His transforming power. Through her brokenness Jesus could show off His grace and goodness. The very things Tracie believed “disqualified” her from ministry are now some of the most impactful parts of her life’s mission and message. Today, I invited Tracie to share some encouragement I think all of our hearts need to hear:
“Have you ever felt like you had nothing special to offer God? Like maybe He doled out the spiritual gifts to everyone else and forgot to give any to you? If so, I want to challenge you to think again.
God has divinely designed a unique purpose for your life. And, you are the only one gifted to fulfill it!
But, before we can discover and embrace what God has gifted us to do, we need to do a little looking back instead of just looking forward. The reality is that God has equipped us to minister to others through the experiences of our past.
But most of us don’t want to look back. We want the past to be the past, and keep trudging ahead. We don’t think about mistakes or hurts. We’d rather bury them in our hearts than talk about them with God, much less anyone else.
But when we do that we prevent our faith from fully blossoming, and we get caught up in trying to figure out how our skills and talents might serve God. What if instead, we look back and discover how our life can serve as a shining testament of His power?
We need is more than gift-assessment; we need a life-assessment to help us discover how our journey has equipped us for God’s divine purposes.
With each situation you have experienced or endured, you have been equipped to serve God.
Your experiences have been used by Christ to strengthen you and your faith. And now He is calling you to be an example of what He is capable of doing. Not just a witness for Christ, but a witness of His power in your life. Because your life matters to God, you do have something of great significance to offer Him – and it’s you.
No one can tell your story of healing, redemption, and purpose like you can.
Even if your experience is similar to someone else’s story, your perspective of what happened and your witness to the power of God’s intervention will be different and unique.
Second Corinthians 1:4 says, “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” Your experiences do not nullify your purpose in life; they prepare you for the purpose God destined you for. They do not void you from being able to participate in ministry, but instead they equip you for it.
Your life-change, healing, faith walk, and journey of transformation could be the story that reaches the broken heart of someone who has lost hope; someone who feels like their life doesn’t matter; someone who has never believed there is a God.
No one is equipped, trained, or qualified to share your story and your faith journey except you.
You are unique. Your experiences are unique. Your story is unlike any other.
Only you can glorify God through your one-of-a-kind design by bringing comfort to others as you allow your past to become the foundation of your personal ministry. When surrendered to Christ, your past experiences will become your most profound equipping and training.
As we gather with people this Thanksgiving and Christmas, let’s look for opportunities to love on them, share our hearts and our stories, and be open to how God wants to us for His divine purpose to bring hope, comfort and love to those around us. And let’s make our lives count for Christ!
YOUR LIFE STILL COUNTS
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We are giving away 4 copies of Your Life Still Counts! Two of you will win two copies (one to keep and one to give away)! To enter to win, simply share your thoughts about today’s post and let us know who you would give the second copy to! [If you’re reading this via email, please click here to enter to win! All entries must be on my blog under this post.]
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The same month that I was informed that I had breast cancer was also the same month that my divorce was final. Six years later I am still single and now an empty nester. While I know that I am not alone, that I have family and friends surrounding me who love me, I still struggle with my self worth and insecurities. I fight depression at times that comes from “being alone”. A lot of times I feel like there is no way God could use me let alone love me even though I know He does. It is a constant struggle.
I love this post… really ministered directly to ME. Dealing with what I have been struggling with… I am blessed to lead the Sunday morning worship service opening with a decree… I always. Pray before selecting, being ever so careful not select based upon what I’m going through at the moment… I usually shun what may be transparent to others…. I am human, not perfect, but God choses for such a time as this…. telling myself time and time again, I can do all things through Christ, it matters not what they think… No One but God knows what my yes has cost me. Eager to read more. What a right now WORD, for right NOW! Bless the Lord… I AM WORTH IT! 🙂
I know I am a work in progress! I look back on my life and wonder, how did I get here! By the Grace of God and when He forgave of my sins! I am still growing and Pray that God will use me for His Glory! I Pray that my life will always be pleasing to our Lord and Savior and that I might be able to help other women!!
The older I get the more I see the wonderful weaving God has done in my life. He continues to heal areas I thought were over with as He continues my story within His-story.
I will share the second book with someone the Lord lays on my heart – it may be a friend or someone at one of my speaking engagements.
This book sounds like an excellent tool to find my way to God’s calling. I ended an abusive marriage with an alcoholic 6 years ago. I’ve tried not to look back as mentioned above but found comfort in talking with people who were in the same situation I left. The second copy I would give to my ex-husband (as strange as that may sound). He has come through a tragic motorcycle accident that should have been fatal but I believe God saved him. I would like my ex to learn what I am learning. Do not be ashamed of your past. God loves you for who He created you to be not what you’ve done in your past and He will guide you through healing if you let Him. Thanks for writing this book…..so many will benefit from it. God bless!
I need this book
This book would be helpful. I so would like to share my story; 10 years ago our 13 yr old daughter was killed in a wreck. God has walked with me thru some very dark days and has taught me so much. When I think of sharing, it is so very difficult. I feel God wants me to share and help others but I don’t know how to start.
I think as women we all struggle with self worth. I have several of my friends in mind for the gift of this book if I was to be lucky enough to win.
This is a great message for me. I have a lot experiences that I could regret and at times I do. So many things that make me feel unworthy of being used by God. I need to read this book. And I would share it with my friend Becky, who is an awesome small group leader.
The sounds like something I should read, I feel sometimes like God past over me. I know that’s not true.
I give the other book to my daughter or a friend.
This post, and the book topic as well, makes me think of Romans 8:28. We rarely see it at the time, but things we go thru in life always have a purpose, and that purpose is ultimately something good. I will give the second copy to the mother of my daughter’s best friend.
I loved reading your blog today. I do often feel that I haven’t fulfilled God’s plan for my life and sometimes I feel unworthy to be used for his glory because of my own past and recent mistakes. I became a young unwed mother, for one, but by God’s grace and the help of my loving husband and family and friends, I was still able to graduate from college and become a nurse.
I’m hoping and believing that God CAN use the brokenness from my life and my daughter’s “to make something beautiful, as only He could (Steven Curtis Chapman).”
(I would give a copy to my daughter.)
To say that the last few years have been challenging for us would be a gross understatement. My daughter suffered some trauma that only came to light in recent years. She also suffers from mental health issues, including cutting, which she is just starting to overcome. She often believes that she is unworthy of love and acts out impulsively as a result. But all thanks and glory to God, she has been spared from harm when she has put herself in potentially very dangerous situations. But she has a beautiful heart and is a wonderful big sister to her nonverbal Autistic brother. I want her to know that her experiences can be used by God to bring hope and healing to other young ladies and maybe even young men in the future and that God loves her as much and even more than her parents do. Thanks for the encouragement, Tracie and Renee.
Rachel
You and your ministry is such a blessing. The Lord has been so good to me. He rescued me out of a pit I dug from the choices I made. I felt I was not worthy to be used by Him.
I keep feeling Him leading me to share how the Grace He has lavished on me is meant to be shared.
I have a genetic skin disorder that is progressively getting worse. I feel God telling me His Grace is sufficient and He will guide me. I need to share this. God’s Grace will get me through. I feel I have two choices to cry out in despair or cry out to God to pour out HIs Holy Spirit on me to get me through.
Please pray for God to sustain me. The enemy sometimes attacks and tells me horrible things about how I look and how others see me. I need to remember how GOD SEES me!
God Bless you and Have a Very Blessed Thanksgiving Holiday
Margaret
My life counts?
Of course your life counts! It wasn’t by chance that I read this. Invite Jesus in right where you are. He loves you! God bless you sweetheart.
Doris – your question is the same one I asked many years ago – I honestly couldnt believe my life mattered to God, or that God could love me. But He does. He loves you, and you did not see this post by mistake. Your question does not surprise God either, in fact, I bet He is rejoicing that you finally began to wonder if your life counts! He has a plan and purpose for you, because He loves you, He just needs you to believe it. Praying for you and that God will make His Presence and love known and felt in your life in the coming weeks!
I have much thought on this book. I as a survivor of abuse can certainly identify with what she talks about in the her book. I feel that I often don’t have something to offer in God’s eyes. I always felt like damaged goods and that God would never use me in any type of work in his eyes. I have stepped forward to become a leader for what is known as LACE ( Ladies After Christ’s Example) . I am so nervous that I am not going to do well in this role. But my friends have assured me that I have the skills to lead this group. That God has placed this challenge in my path for a reason. So, now my challenge begins.
I would share with my boss who has had some tough medical issues. I needed this post as having family home has been difficult this week.
I just turned 60 this past summer and am really go through a slump where I feel like “How can God use me” and how does my life still count? I worked for many years for the telephone company and was laid off due to a merger and downsizing. Then I sold real-estate for eight years and gave up my license a few years ago. I also battled breast cancer and know that God must still have a plan and purpose for my life because I’m still alive. But I’m just not sure what that plan is right now and I feel like I’m just coasting along these days.
My entire life has been one big soap opera !! And I say it all was and still is a blessing !! I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior in 2010 after loosing my job,home ,family & getting cancer.5 years later I’m still sick , unable to reconcile with ex husband , entire family divided & I’m the one who causes this because Iam considred one of those born agains. The Lord has blessed me with endurance and I will continue to Praise God for all he has given me & I will keep praying for my families salvation! Not seeing my children & granddaughter is so painful. But I know God is Good & he has shown such mercy . I would love to get the books ,I would give the copy to my mother & my daughter after I finished reading. Thank-you & God Bless
Sorry Pat T. my above comments were not meant to be a reply. Didn’t realize I had clicked reply. Sorry for confusion. I would love to read and share Tracie Mills book.
What a wonderful reminder that God is always in control of our lives. I am searching for my purpose and gifts and knowing I need to use my hurts from my past to help out to others is very hard and scary. To be strong enough to share my past is not an easy step. Lord, help me to be the daughter you want me to be.
This definitely sounds like a book that I would love to read. I have several friends who I think would love to read your story and be challenged to share theirs as well. Thanks