He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much…” Luke 16:10
A few months ago, while my daughter was cleaning the bathrooms, she noticed that there were several hand soap dispensers that were just about empty and needed to be replaced. Rather than throw all of them away, and waste that last little bit of soap in the bottom of each of them, she used creativity and resourcefulness to combine them all into one of the dispensers, so that soap wouldn’t be wasted and could be used to clean hands! This is a great example of a young lady using resourcefulness!
What is resourcefulness? It is the wise use of that which others would normally overlook or discard. It is paying attention to things that you might not think are valuable and making them useful again to be a blessing to others. It is easy to take things for granted. We live in a society that is very disposable, meaning that we throw things out quickly when they don’t seem to be valuable anymore. But God wants us to be resourceful with everything that He has given us.
We were reminded of this handy trait when we received little tablets from one of our missionary’s daughters. Sweet Dyanna Wilhite used free paint swatches that can be found at any hardware store and paper and binder combs that they have in their printing ministry in Africa to make little tablets for many little friends here in America! Perhaps Dyanna didn’t have the means to go to a store and purchase a stack of notepads, but she used what she had to come up with a more thoughtful, creative, and inexpensive gift for others!
What do you have that you could use to bless others? What about those scraps of construction paper or felt? Could you make a card or banner that would cheer up someone in the hospital? Think about what it is that you are good at (maybe arts and crafts or music or the gift of encouragement) and try to come up with ways to use those talents to bless others. Maybe it’s being resourceful with your time. After your schoolwork is finished, you could think of some extra jobs to do to bless your mom. Or perhaps you could use your time to read a book to your baby sister or play trains with your little brother.
What about making a treat for daddy? Rather than flipping through a cookbook and finding a recipe that way, take a look in your fridge or pantry and plan a meal or treat using the ingredients that you already have.
Most girls don’t have a lot of money in their piggybanks. You might be tempted to think that an amount like $3 isn’t going to be much of a help to a missionary. Think again! Maybe $3 could buy a Bible for someone in Burma, or a few dozen tracts for a missionary in Chile, or $3 might even help buy some gasoline so a missionary in Botswana can make a trip into town and share the gospel with someone on a street corner! The little things that we have and often think are not important can be used to do great things for the Lord if we will begin to think and act resourcefully!
Here are a few verses to study with your mother:
- Proverbs 3:27
- Ruth 2:3
- Mark 12:41-44
When a young lady begins to use what she has to bless others and glorify the Lord, she is becoming all glorious within!
Abigail strives to be a joyful wife to Scott and mother to their five blessings – Lily, Joseph, Grace, Emma, and Samuel. She enjoys homemaking, organizing, homeschooling, and bargain shopping.