What do you have to offer?

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What do you have to offer?

Life Today!

©2021 | Bill C. Dotson

Job interview

When I was interviewing for my first job right before getting married, I had an interesting interview. This was my fifth job application that day. A high school friend’s father owned a mortgage company in Nashville. And Joanne’s sister was working there. My interview started slowly with her boss, who turned me over to one of the partners who then brought in the other partner. After three hours of interview, they asked me ‘what salary do you think you should start at?’ I said I did not really have anything to offer them, so I am not sure. And that maybe I should just start for nothing. They replied, we want to hire you, but you have to make something. My answer was; my fiancé is making $200 per month at her bank job, and I would really like to make more than she, so what about $205 to start. They agreed and I was hired.

Have you ever thought about what you have to offer in many circumstances? Skills, knowledge, contacts, assets, ideas, abilities, what? We all have some gifts to bring to the table. But in any new situation, we may be very limited or inadequate. Most times, we need training. This made me think about a very beautiful story when Jesus was with a crowd of followers and the disciples. All had traveled without food, maybe even drink, for a couple of days. There were a reported 5,000 men, which equates to 12-15,000 people. Jesus suggested to the disciples that they needed to feed them. You give them something to eat” (Mark 6.37b).

Look to Jesus

After their struggling to figure out how to do that, Jesus asks them a significant question. “How many loaves do you have? Go and see” (vs. 38b). They searched and found a boy who had five small loaves and two fish. Jesus took these, prayed over them to his Father, and fed everyone until they were fully satisfied with some left over. When we are facing some task, many times far bigger than our capabilities, do we do as the disciples, or look to Jesus? What Jesus was asking them was—what do you have to offer? I can use it to do great and mighty things. And he is still asking us the same question. What the Lord wants us to do is obediently bring what we have, and trust him to multiply it a hundredfold, or whatever is required. The widow brought only her mite, but it was all she had!

Eleven years ago I sensed a calling by God to write a book on fatherhood. I felt so inadequate. But I told the Lord—I have two fingers, I know how to type, I have a computer and if your Spirit wants to write this through me, I am willing. Five minutes later I began typing and nine months later the book, From Faith to FaithFathers, are you absent or abiding? was completed. Eleven years later, this discipleship message has become an international ministry to dads. I wrote a book, God has done the rest.

Give what you have

Our gifting, whatever, can be placed in his hands and amazing results occur. It is an act of faith in his omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence. So, are you hearing him saying, “what do you have to offer me that I can use to bring glory to my Father and joy to your heart, mind and soul?” Just give what you have, nothing more, by faith, and be forever amazed. Right, John Maisel?

Article Notes:
Scriptures from the NKJV

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Abiding Fathers is a Biblical fatherhood discipleship ministry committed to helping men be the dad…God wants them to be. It’s a movement of God that is “International-Relational-Generational”. Join with us. We need you!


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