Keep your eyes open, hold tight to your convictions, give it all you’ve got, be resolute, and love without stopping. 1 Corinthians 16:13–14 (The Message)
God knew that you’d be arriving on the planet when you did. He knew you would be living where you are, with the social circle you have, doing what you do. He planned for you and has entrusted you with gifts and abilities He needs you to use for His cause.
With that in mind, God needs you to fight the good fight of faith to keep developing and using the gifts you’ve been given. He needs you to keep building on those gifts: stone upon stone, one step at a time.
When you’re building on the gifts God has given you, you’re going to have times of incredibly fast growth, but you’re also going to have times when you can’t see anything happening. It’s like watching a skyscraper being built. At the beginning of construction, the crews are digging deeper, pouring concrete and putting in rebar, but all they have to show for it is a big hole in the ground. Only once the foundation is finally laid does the work begin to show. One floor after the other is added, and every day you can see new growth.
It takes faith to get through the seasons when nothing seems to be happening. This is when the chatter can get to you—all the talk you hear about why things aren’t going well and why you should give up. Instead of listening to the chatter, fight to stay in faith.
Even when growth seems slow, decide that you’re going to build on what’s been entrusted to you. Develop the gifts that are within you and never give up!