noun: an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result

For the past year, I’ve spent some extra time investing in myself. At first, I felt guilty about using our family’s money and time to do something that exclusively benefitted me. For a couple of hours a day, I disappeared into my office (a desk and cork board in the middle of my closet) to pray, write, research, and work on my dream. With each hour I invested in that dream, I felt refreshed and energized, which in turn made me a better wife, mom, daughter, and friend.

During my struggle with the idea of investing in myself,  one of my devotions focused on 1 Chronicles 28 and 29, the passage where David declares that Solomon, his son,  will build the temple of God. In this portion of scripture, David lays out the specifications for the temple, speaks encouraging words over his son and his kingdom, and prays for the task to be blessed of God. It was in these verses that God spoke blessing over my “investment” just as David blessed Solomon.

Here we pause for a brief interruption while we read the passage together.  Visit this link to read through the verses. Don’t worry I’ll wait……………………..  Finished yet?……. okay, let me pop downstairs and make a cup of tea………..I just sounded very British, didn’t I?………………now are you done?  Good, let’s get back to the point.

As I read these two chapters that day, they came alive for me.  God was speaking so fast to my heart, I could barely get it all written down. Then over the course of the next few months, I reread these chapters to remind myself of what God told me that day. Today, I visit them again, to encourage you to set about doing what God has specifically called you to do.

• 28:8 David speaks to the entire assembly here about their responsibility in building the temple and how it will affect future generations.  I must take care to follow all that God has called me to do (mothering, mentoring, missions, and writing) because it will create an inheritance for my children. Our choice to walk in God’s plan for our lives directly effects our children.

• 28:20 David speaks directly to Solomon and encourages him that the work will be finished. There are times when I’m frustrated over the size of the task God set before me. (Don’t you think Solomon was overwhelmed with the enormity of building a temple for God.) Too often we focus on the enormity of God’s call. We question our abilities. We worry about “having the time to do it all.” We try to work out every detail related to that calling. But this verse reminds me that all the work related to the Temple (to our calling) is finished and finished correctly. I am God’s temple and He has called me to this task; therefore, it will be finished, whether I worry about it or not. So let’s just leave the worry out of it!

• 29:1 David points out that Solomon is “young and inexperienced.”  I don’t feel so young anymore, but I do feel inexperienced when it comes to my calling. However, David points out that Solomon was chosen by God.  The same is true for each of us!

• 29:3 David gave his personal treasures so that the temple could be completed. My the Lord help us to give our own private treasures to help in the completion of our earthly God-purpose. May we never be too prideful to give up something that leads us to finish the work that God has started in us. 

• 29:10-14 After all the plans are laid out for the temple, David prays.  His prayers recognizes that God is the center and reason for it all.  So it is with our calling.  The only reason I write is to point people to Him.  The only reason we teach, crunch numbers, doctor patients, build buildings, or sing songs is to point people to Him.  May we never forget that the gift that complements our calling is used solely to see that others find God.

• 29:19 David ends his prayer with a focus on Solomon. He prays for Solomon to have a whole-hearted devotion to all of God’s commands.  That should be our prayer too: a focused and uncluttered heart so that we can walk in the calling that God spoke over us. We can invest in ourselves so that we may better live the life God called us to.

• 29:21 The very next day after David’s announcement. The people began to move in what had God had spoken. They took action by celebrating the call. God has gifted each of us, but sometimes we simply dabble in our talent, and sometimes we completely ignore it. Deep down in each of our souls, that gift cries for its release. And with a little investment in ourselves and time with God, its release will turn into our deepest joy. It’s time to celebrate the call and begin to live our lives in it.