God is good. Isn't He? So much of His goodness surrounds us
every day, found in His provision for us, found in our families, and found in
the blessings of life. It is found in the beauties of the earth: sunshine,
rain, flowers, birds, stars. It is found in spiritual blessings: answered
prayer, wisdom, salvation, grace, forgiveness.
God's goodness is also found in His blessing of our
ministries, and it is this aspect that fills my thoughts at the moment. Hasn't
God done some amazing things that He has allowed you to see as you have
ministered for Him? People who seemed hopelessly trapped in sin - now rescued
and redeemed. Displays of bold faithfulness and unwavering devotion to God in
spite of opposition. Christians strengthened and grounded in their faith. Churches
built and strengthened. The spread of the Gospel into new areas.
How does God do such amazing things through us? How can such
frail mortals have any part in such divinely meaningful work? If I were
choosing someone to make a difference for God, I wouldn't choose me. Would you
choose you?
I guess there are times in life when I could reflect on my
training and experiences, when I could consider the growth and victories God
has given me, and if I decided to think highly of myself, I could conclude that
maybe I have something valuable to offer God. Much of the time, however, I feel
like a walking disaster. I am aware of my struggles, challenges, failures, and
inadequacies, and it seems highly unlikely that God could do anything profitable
through me.
Wouldn't God need someone incredible like the apostle Paul
to do His work? Yet Paul declared, "O wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:24). He testified,
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am
chief" (1 Timothy 1:15). He shared, "For I am the least of the
apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle" (1 Corinthians 15:9).
And in words that would seem to disqualify him from service, he confessed,
"For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for
to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not" (Romans 7:18).
If Paul was so unqualified, and if Paul struggled so much,
what hope is there for any of us? Thankfully, the hope is not found in us any
more than it was found in Paul. The hope is in the power and grace of God. It
was only God's grace that made Paul what he was (1 Corinthians 15:10), and it
was only God's grace that allowed Paul to serve God. "God, who separated
me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace" (Galatians 1:15).
Paul wasn't the only "walking disaster" that God
used. Noah became drunk with disastrous effect on his family, yet God used him
as a preacher of righteousness. Job despaired of life and by his own admission
spoke words he shouldn't have spoken, yet the Bible upholds him as an example
of endurance. Abraham is a hero of faith, yet his wavering faith led to lies
and manipulation. Jacob schemed and deceived, but God made him a prince and
patriarch. Moses wrote much of the Bible and was God's chosen leader in a
crucial aspect of divine history, but he murdered and gave excuses and
disobeyed. Gideon was filled with fear and inadequacy, and Samson had serious
issues with women, but God used both to deliver His people. Both Eli and Samuel
failed miserably with their own children, yet God gave them very important
roles in His service. David's adultery and murder are appalling to us, but
there is no doubt that God valued and used him tremendously. Both Hezekiah and
Josiah were instrumental in phenomenal revivals in Israel's history, yet both
had failures in their interactions with foreign kings. Elijah and Jeremiah,
incredible prophets of God, struggled with discouragement and despair. Peter,
one of the most respected leaders of the early church, had some glaring
failures in the words that came out of his mouth.
Every person in history that has ever been used by God has
had failures. Not a single person has ever been adequate in himself. If God
required perfect servants to do His work, He wouldn't find any. We could in a
sense "feel sorry" for God. We could wonder how He can ever manage to
do His work when we frail humans are the instruments He has to work through. It
would seem that our weakness would make His job so difficult. Certainly, there
are times that we get in the way and inadvertently do damage, but that should
not be our focus.
The great wonder in this whole consideration is the power
and wisdom of God. He knows very well what He has to work with, and He is able
to use simple, stumbling people like us to accomplish His divine work that is
far beyond our ability to achieve. Our limitations don't limit God. God is so
powerful, so wise, and so good. Because God is able to do divinely significant
work through such broken instruments, all the glory goes to Him. "But we
have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be
of God, and not of us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).
What you do today matters for eternity, not because of your
own merits, but because a wise and powerful God chooses to pour out His grace
on you and because He determines to work through you. Keep being a willing
vessel in His hands.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holtmember at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
www.pressingontohigherground.blogspot.com
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