You know how you feel after you arrive home from a vacation? That's how I feel coming back to you all. I very much so appreciated the break, but man! It feels good to be home 😊
This'll be quick. In fact, many of my articles maybe short and sweet from here on out. Time will time, and God is the final judge, so we shall see. But as for today, brief it is. Here we go.
I’m blessed. Like tremendously blessed. I am a wife, a mother, a full-time employee, a writer, and an author. My cup runneth over with joy from the love flown from and to me from the many hats I wear. But with my blessings come responsibility.
And may I be honest with you? The upkeep of my many blessings can be tiring. To be a spouse, I must put in the effort to attend to his needs and wants. To be a mother, I have to adhere to the demands of motherhood… potty training, temper tantrums, random needs of affection just as soon as I crack my laptop open to do ministry work. To be a writer, I must consistently read and write, even when it doesn’t feel as if there’s enough time in the day to do so.
I found myself telling God that there just wasn’t enough time in a day to do all the things He has put on my plate. I caught myself on more than one occasion wishing I could clone myself three times over. One Quin to do the cooking and cleaning, one Quin to go to work and do favors when family and friends ask, one Quin to be an author and writer who takes care of her husband and toddler, and just one more Quin to sleep, relax, and go on a vacation!
But the reality is God gave all these duties to me and me alone. It is up to me to carry the responsibility that comes with the many blessings I have… which is why I am writing to you today. Have you considered the responsibility of the blessings you are asking for?
Are you asking God for a spouse? Have you thought about the level of selflessness it takes to make a marriage work? Have you thought about the fact that neither you or your spouse will be the same person forever and you will be responsible for positively adapting to any changes he/she will go through? Or did you only think of the honeymoon, anniversaries, and date nights?
Are you praying for a successful business? Did you think about the overhead costs it’ll take to run a business and the fact that you may not make a profit in the first year or so? Did you think about the legality of doing business and the taxes involved in it? Or did you only envision millions without the tough leadership decisions you’ll have to make?
Are you praying for a baby? Did you think of all the sleepless nights you will have and how your body will change? Did you think of the anxiety you may have from worrying about your child’s wellbeing? Did you think of how expensive having children can be and how you will have to schedule your life around them?
Maybe you're praying for a house and didn't think about the home insurance you'll need to pay. Maybe you're praying for a bigger house and didn't think about the extra time and effort it'll take for you to clean that bigger house.
Maybe you want that new car and didn't consider that it takes premium gas and that the parts for any future repairs are more expensive than what you would want to pay.
Maybe I didn't list your prayer request here... but that's beside the point. The point is this: with great blessings comes great responsibility. No, I'm not misquoting Uncle Ben from Spider-Man (great movie by the way). I am quoting biblical truth.
... From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Luke 12:48 NIV
I encourage you to continue to pray for the blessings you desire if they're within God's will. Yet, consider that the blessing you are praying for will not only come with joy from receiving it. It will come with a requirement from you. It may require your time, your energy, your effort, your money, or all the above.
So, what does it require? What does your prayer request require of you? Ask yourself this and try to prepare yourself for the thing(s) you are asking for. Also, pray that God grants you the patience, strength, and wisdom to maintain them.
Let's not ask God for a steak and become upset because we thought He was going to cut it into small pieces for us too. No, not so. We're grown, and we have to cut into our own steaks. If God grants your request, be an adult and take care of the blessing He gave you.
That's all folks! Again, it's good to be back! Be blessed and have a great week. I have my knife in hand ready to dig in. Do you?
Quin Arrington's debut book "And Then You Shall Have Good Success: Attaining Good Success God's Way" is available on Amazon in paperback and eBook format. Link to book listed below.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093YK8SBJ?pf_rd_r=5YWRGY52QBQEF3N74385&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35
Oh I'm ready to dig in. Love this! So happy to see you back and blessing us with a beautiful word.