This post is meant for my friends. Primarily the peers in my
life who deal with me on a day to day, or week to week basis.
Basically, I want to encourage you. Partly because of
something incredible that happened today. And partly because of recent
circumstances that have just led me to feel the need to thank you in a semi-public
fashion.
You guys are incredible.
The reason you’re incredible, is your surrender to Christ.
Most of you have made a public profession of your faith in the living God. You
believe with your whole heart that Jesus Christ selflessly laid down his life,
to save you from eternal torment in hell. With some of you, I was at your
baptisms, watching as you took that step of faith, proclaiming that Jesus
Christ is your King, and you eagerly look forward to his return. I know your
hearts, and have seen you transformed by Him from one year to the next.
But it doesn’t stop there. Your surrender gives Christ control
over you and gives Him access to use you to further His Kingdom. And I see it.
Recently, I’ve seen it a lot. I saw it last month, I saw it last week, and I
saw it just today. A close friend of mine and I were talking about issues in
our lives, and school, and things, and I looked him in the eye and told him, “God
can’t use me. I’ve piddled away my time until now, I know God hasn’t turned His
back on me yet, because I’ve returned to Him constantly and I still feel His presence
and see Him working, but I feel useless for His kingdom. I don’t understand why
He continues to waste His time on me, because I’m worthless. I’m awed, I’m
thankful, I’m so fully in love with Him because He hasn’t abandoned me yet… but
He’ll never be able to use me.”
But my friend looked at me, with caring, encouraging eyes
and said, “I know for a fact, you’re wrong. Because I have scripture to back
me.”
Doubting, I shook my head. “Show me.” I challenged,
arrogance dripping from my words. Tears threatening to seep from my eyes. “Show
me the verse, because I just don’t see my use.”
He read me these words from 1 Corinthians 1 :24 – 31:
“But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the
power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser
than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your
calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not
many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world
to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the
things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God
has chosen, the things that are not, that He might nullify the things that are,
that no man should boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus,
who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption, that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts, boast in the
Lord.”
I’m the least. I’m worthless. I’m the last guy who’d ever
get picked in the grand dodge-ball game of life. But God can still use me… and
according to these verses… He is, and He has. That thought… broke me down.
Jesus Christ hasn’t given up on me, and He’s even chosen to use me despite my
numerous flaws. At the moment of realization, I felt an overwhelming comfort.
They were the exact words I needed to hear, and God sent them, through my friend,
just at the perfect time.
Recently I’ve been praying that the Lord would just let His
perfect will be known to me. And in that moment, I felt Him speaking to me,
showing me that when the time is right, He will reveal His will to me.
Yes, I’m thanking Christ for His perfect timing. Yes, I’m
thanking Him for saving my worthless soul and using me to further His kingdom;
as useless as I often feel. But I’m thanking my friends too. For humbling
yourselves, and letting Jesus Christ use you. He uses you in my life so
constantly. In verses shared, in thought-provoking blog posts, in
heart-to-heart talks…
If He uses one as unlikely as I… then I know for a fact He uses people like you
guys too. And I've been blessed to be on the receiving end of that use more times than I ever deserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment