when God says “no”

“Just because you have a talent/passion in a certain area doesn’t mean you’re released to move in it.”    What does that statement do to you?   What’s your reaction?   I’ve been told this statement, not by man but God speaking to my heart…. and it didn’t go over well….

One of my worst fears is that God will not use my God-given gifts.  But often times, God’s gift in us must be smashed in order for it to be of any value.   But I need to remember that He doesn’t leave it smashed and broken.  He only does that to prepare my heart.  He will then mend it and give it greater depth than I can imagine so it can truly be for His glory.

“Many of us begin working for God with self-interest at heart.  Before we can be of any value, something must happen to us.  What is that?  It is whatever it takes to bring us to the place where we see that God gives us a gift for His glory, for His greater purpose and for His church”. (R.T. Kendall)

In fact, it says in Romans 11:29:   For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.  Or in other words, For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.   This means that God’s gifts in me are given to me from Him not to be removed.  So I can be living in complete rebellion and still able to move in the gifts God has given.  Don’t believe me?  I’ve done it…  I’ve moved in many amazing gifts in times of my deepest rebellion.   When I saw that I was still able to use these gifts it made me believe I was justified in my attitude.  Wow, was I ever wrong.  I caused myself some years of brokenness as a result.

It often takes time for God to use us in the way He had envisioned.  I think of David and his heart of worship.  I think of his heart to build God a temple.   Fitting isn’t it?  It would only make sense for him to build God a temple – considering his heart of worship!  But what did God say?  “No”.    I wonder what David thought of that?   God wasn’t going to allow him to do something that was of deep importance and even gifting in David!   But God said, “no”.   It wasn’t that God wasn’t going to deny the request completely.  God said to David that Solomon, his son, could build the temple.

I try to put myself in David’s shoes.  I’d feel a sense of grief if God told me “no” to something so deep in my heart to do.   And truthfully, I’d be tempted to just go ahead and do it anyways!  But David listened to God and didn’t build it.   And it did come to pass that Solomon built the temple.   So even though David didn’t get to do this himself, his legacy did.   AND what he didn’t know is that God would build His temple/His church through David’s line.  That a Seed would come from the root of Jesse – from David, Jesus Christ who would build the Church, God’s “temple”.

God clearly had bigger things in mind than David could have possibly imagined.   But he wouldn’t know this…..   He had to trust that God’s “no” was for a greater purpose.   He had to surrender.  And through his surrendering, God did above and beyond what he could have imagined.

So when God says “no” to me, perhaps I should trust.  Perhaps He has a greater purpose in mind.   And in the process He can turn the gifts He’s given me into something far more beautiful than I could ever create on my own.