Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

Taking a week off from the disciples series…tune in next week to read about Matthew!

Well, here it is. Post #52. An entire year has passed since I wrote “Good Pressure”—a year that has left me overwhelmed at the unceasing goodness of God. As I think back on the past 51 posts, I’d like to use this one to reflect on the unexpected lessons the Lord has taught me. To be honest, I felt strongly led to start this blog for quite a while before I actually did. A number of excuses flooded my mind…I was too young (why would people care what I have to say?), I was too busy (how could God expect more of me than I am already giving?), I was too imperfect (what have I to tell Christians about God that they don’t already know?). But if I’ve learned one thing over the past year, it’s that being used by God has nothing to do with being or feeling adequate. I’m not enough, and neither are you. But praise God that Jesus is, and through Him we cannot be defeated.

When I said I was too young, God showed me Jeremiah 1:6-8. “Then I said, ‘Alas, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because I am a youth.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.’” If we keep saying we aren’t the right age to be used by God, we will grow old and never grow closer to Him in obedience and faith. No matter what stage of life you are in, be content knowing that your Father does not want one moment to go to waste.

When I said I was too busy, God taught me one of the most important lessons I have ever learned: when I make time for what God wants me to do, He will make time for what I need to do. When I prioritize my time in His word, in prayer, in worship, in service, and in writing these words He gives me, I do not feel nearly as overwhelmed by the pressures of daily life. As Jesus told Martha, “‘You are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary’” (Luke 10:41-42). That “one thing” is a deep, abiding, transforming relationship with Christ our Lord.

When I said I was too imperfect, God revealed to me the hidden pride in this excuse. When I refused to follow Him in obedience, I was really putting off His will until I could impress my brothers and sisters in Christ. I’ve often quoted Luke 12:11-12— “‘When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense, or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.’” The words we speak are one of two things: God-given and entirely trustworthy, or self-given and entirely useless. I pray that as I write this blog, He will give me the words to say and the heart with which to say them.

I can’t tell you how many times these posts have come full circle in my own life, both before and after they are written. I remember when I was preparing my post about patience…and learned that God definitely has a sense of humor. I was frustrated because I would sit down to write, and the words would not come. I thought I would have a lot to say when discussing that fruit of the Spirit, but instead I ended up staring at a blank page. Frustrated, I left for my weekly worship night at my campus ministry. The speaker talked about Jairus, the man who had to wait for Jesus to heal his daughter and ended up seeing Him raise her from the dead. That’s when it hit me, and I couldn’t help but smile. I had been impatient with God for making me wait to write a post about displaying patience; but then, that night, He gave me much more than I had thought possible.

If you know me, you probably know there’s been more self-disclosure in this post than my comfort zone is happy with : ). This one has been more personal than usual because I truly want to encourage you to never use your own inadequacy as an excuse for ignoring God’s calling on your life. Every child of God has a special purpose, and when we deny this, we miss out on the amazing things He has in store for us. I did it for far too long. While I know I can never write like Paul, I do make the same request of you that he did in Ephesians 6:19-20: “Pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” As you read this, friends, pray that many will be encouraged and strengthened by these ineloquent words of an imperfect child of God.