Regardless of Your Story, God Can Use Your Past for His Glory by Rick Warren

“Everyone should examine his own conduct; then he will be able to take the measure of his own worth; no need to compare himself to others” (Galatians 6:4 Knox).

One of the best ways to discover how God wants to use you in the future is to look at how he has used you in the past.

God doesn’t want you to waste your past. God wants to use it.

The Bible says, “Everyone should examine his own conduct; then he will be able to take the measure of his own worth; no need to compare himself to others” (Galatians 6:4 Knox).

It’s not about what your parents do well. It’s not about what your spouse does well. The Bible says we’re to examine our own conduct.

So how do you do that? Here’s an easy exercise to get you started.

Take a half-hour this week. Sit down with a piece of paper, and separate it by a line for every 10 years of your life. Then try to create a life inventory. Examine your own conduct.

What were you good at during each of those stages of your life? What did you enjoy doing? Both are important.

Look for patterns. If you were good at it when you were younger, you’re probably still good at it.

Use what you’ve learned about yourself to help you understand what God wants to do through your life.

Talk It Over:

Why is it important to avoid comparing our talents with other people’s talents?
What activities in your past were you good at but you’re not doing today? Why do you think this change happened?
Why do you think we sometimes stop using the gifts and talents that we’re obvious and active when we were younger?