The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.
—Artist Pablo Picasso
Seven out of ten people are mentally “checked out” at work. That means only 30 percent of American workers enjoy their jobs. Age and education appear to be contributing factors. Baby boomers, millennials, and employees with college degrees were the groups that most frequently admitted to being “actively disengaged” at work.
People don’t like going to work if they’re not passionate about their jobs. For years, parents pushed their children to study computers, medicine, or law because of the good pay and job security. But once these kids finished their education and landed an opportunity in one of those fields, they found that they were miserable. Parents, God has a divinely ordained destiny for your children that includes utilizing their passions, personality, skills, dreams, and experiences.
All of these attributes merge together to enable them to live out all they were created to be. God has ordained this customized life-calling to bring Him the greatest glory and achieve the maximum expansion of His kingdom. Their purpose is never only about them. It is about God and His kingdom agenda. Your child is here for a reason. It’s a tragedy if your child never discovers what that purpose is. One of the most important things you can do as a parent is help your children along the path to discovering their spiritual gifts, passions, and vision so you can guide them toward their personal purpose.
Application
1. Make a list of your children’s spiritual gifts (not talents).
2. How can you nurture those gifts?
3. Do you pray for your child’s destiny? If not, start asking God to help your child bring Him the greatest glory.
Prayer
Lord, You’ve uniquely gifted my children. Help me to see those spiritual gifts and talents and encourage my kids to use them for You. Amen.
An excerpt taken from Raising Kingdom Kids. Discover more at RaisingKingdomKids.org.