Forgotten how to INSPIRE

There is a song out right now that speaks of how all people everywhere are so busy trying to build their empires, they have forgotten how to inspire others, whether it be with the talents, gifts and abilities that God gave them, or with words, or actions. Regardless, we are a busy people, living busy lives, and we strive very hard to make the most money we can, and live the best life ( possessions wise) as though this will make us happy, all the while completely forgetting about how to inspire others. There are some days where my job of being a stay at home mom is anything less than an inspiration, in fact some days, it feel like I instead, slipped and fell in the mud. But God in His infinite grace, picks me up, dusts me off and shows me once again a renewed sense of the immense job HE gave me. The job of inspiring my children, pointing their faces heavenward, teaching them the deep and simple truths about Christ all throughout the day. As we walk along the road, ride in the car, sit around the dinner table and play with legos. There is always a time to speak His name, and the time is now.
The other place we inspire is at a place of employment, or in your sport, or with the excellence God has given you in a certain field of interest. God grants us many interests and abilities, and He expands our fields sometimes to grow you, and I for His Kingdom, for His glory.

God amazes me with His creativity, and all the different talents and abilities He gives people, and He fuels our abilities by placing us in situations in which our field of talent can grow, for His glory, but also....to Inspire others.

Have you ever thought about your abilities that way? That they are there to help and encourage others? TO lift others up? This means, also that there will be times that God expands you, promotes you, elevates you to be in a place where your name will get noticed, but the catch is this: He does not do this so our name can be known, and our empire can grow. He does this so that we can encourage, build up, give others more confidence and ultimately to bring His name more glory. This all happens when we respond in the God glorifying way, as opposed to the self glorifying way.

Ecclesiastes 5:11 says this:

" As goods increase, so do those who consume them. And what benefit are they to the owners, except to feast their eyes on them."

If my desire is to simply build my empire within my own home, to grow my own personal environment, then I am better off not doing this.

And then this verse, I find this next one to be the pinnacle for the spring board of my thinking:
Ecclesiastes 4:4

"And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another. THis to is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."

Envy? Or Inspiration. That is my question. Are we striving, perusing, building and doing because we are truly just envious of someone else?  Essentially, we say that they had " it " and then we of course, were filled with desire for that same thing. So in many cases, we don't just want what they have, we compete with them and want what they have, only better.

I doubt this is how God intended for it to be. Don't you think? I think if He spoke audibly to us He would not commend our envy, our biting and devouring. It's not pleasing to Him, nor does it give His name any glory what so ever.

Rather, what if we did something different with our gifts, abilities and talents. We blessed and Inspired others. We set pride, envy and desire for more wealth aside, and we purely and simply gave God free reign with what we did, and how we did it. Spirit led talents, and design.

What if we said nothing of what "WE" did, but rather, thanked Him for an opportunity to encourage and inspire others, I wonder how much more content we would be.

Contentment, satisfaction and peace within our doings is really what we are all striving after. We love recognition because this makes us feel important, but what is importance really? To know that we were really something. That our life had meaning and purpose. For fame ,beauty and riches fade, and none of them can you bring with you when you die. Why not take what God has given you and use it to inspire others. God and only God can teach us how to leave a legacy of inspiration. And remember, it's not about our name being known, but His. If no one knows my name when I die, I care not. What I do care about is that through the way my life was lived, His name was famed, and those around me were encouraged and inspired. For His name, for His glory, I live by His grace.