Divine InfluencerSample

I love that God knows us so intimately and deeply that He gives us exactly what we need when we need it. He can use us exactly where we are. He gives each of us gifts, ones to use for His glory, not for selfish ambition. I think sometimes that’s where we can take a wrong turn, forgetting the purpose of the gifts given to us.

In the film, Liv loves being an influencer. She loves to tell people where to shop and what to buy, but when she loses her job and everything else, she finds herself not knowing what to do. Then at Harvest Rescue Mission, God turns her life around. She’s introduced to Chef Zara, who left her job as a head chef at an award-winning restaurant to cook at the shelter. Liv asks why, and she says her dream left her empty, but she found what she was missing at Harvest. “Joy. A joy I’d never experienced before. Serving others, getting to someone’s soul through food.”

Liv takes that to heart. She uses her gift of influence to impact the people at the shelter, like Karla, who needs clothes to wear to her court appearance and job interview. And her gift of party planning to save the shelter from being closed down. The gifts God gave Liv, which she once used selfishly, she now could use to serve others and glorify God.

I struggled with that too. I wanted to be a TV writer and worked hard to try and accomplish that. At 25, my discipler told me God would use my gift of writing for His glory. But rather than jump for joy, I thought, “Oh please, God, no! I want to be a rich and famous showrunner!” Looking back on that moment now, I chuckle. I mean, who was I to question God’s purpose for my life? But being an “experiential learner,” I didn’t listen the first time, and so God worked through moments in my life to bring me back to the original plan. I’m grateful for that because, like Liv’s dad says in the film, “God has a plan for your life.” And believe me, and it’s much better than ours.

What are the gifts God has given you? How are you using them? What kind of Spiritual fruit are you growing?