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by Mark Malcolm

God does not intend you to suffer for Him. It is not His intention for your labors in His path to be a drudgery. Read verse thirteen again.

“…but by way of equality…” Your efforts should be in places where you have an abundance of something. Skill, funds, materiel, time; something you are overflowing with that others in that area do not have a lot of.

You should also feel a compelling need to act in this area. Your list from the Advent Question sheet should have things on it that you feel strongly should be addressed as needing attention. Look for ways that your skills, your “abundance”, those things you are good at, can apply. This is where God can use you and where He intends that you be used.

Take those things you have joy and pleasure in, which you do well and frequently, and find a way to apply them to those tasks you feel drawn to that help His children. These are the things in which you have “…gathered much…” and for which you can provide to those who have “…gathered little…” That scripture is not aimed at those who lazily failed to act and now are looking to you to do for them what they chose not to do for themselves. Well, perhaps in a few cases it might so as to be an example those individuals might learn from. But for the most part this calling is to help the brothers and sisters in Christ who are not skilled, capable, or able to do what you can do.

They need you to do this. Fill that need. Go out into the world and be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need what you have extra of but don’t be afraid to sacrifice either. Just remember, that effort out of your abundance or that sacrifice might inspire “…the same earnestness on your behalf in the heart of Titus.” or someone else, and you may never know it. But God who sees all will know, and that is all that matters.

Bio from my web site :

Mark Malcolm is a child of God, husband, father, project manager, technical writer, gamer, fiction writer, Marine (’87-’91), has practiced Shao Lin Kung Fu and Tai Chi, been published in magazines and newspapers (editorial anyway), and seen the Southern Cross.

The goals he has currently are to more accurately identify the path God has for him to walk, continue to provide for his family, establish a solid web presence, build a career writing novels through both traditional and independent publishing, and learn to better relate to the people around him.

http://www.firstchevalier.com/about-the-cavalier/