So many times, there is this great opportunity for us to do something. We’re asked, we think about, maybe even utter a half-hearted prayer for guidance, and then…we say “no.”
There are days when we feel like something is missing, as if we have this potential greatness in us, that we’re missing out on using. But even if we had the place to use it, we wouldn’t want to, since we’ve made so many mistakes before.
During times when we are in positions of doing great things, we often chicken out in the middle, thinking “I’m not worthy of this job. Someone better should be doing this.”
And so continues the human tragedy. It’s been around since the days before Christ. Something inside us wants to be better, but we know we can’t. And it’s true: we really can’t do anything important.
But, this is not where it ends! God has a better plan for us. He desires to use us for great things for him, if we’re only willing.
We limit ourselves so much, by thinking that other people can do stuff better than us, and that we are worthless or incapable of doing great things, but that is a lie.
There seem to be three main ways that we limit ourselves:
1. Feeling Too Weak
When we see a job, this mountain of a job put before us, it’s tempting to look at it and say “I’m too weak to do that. Someone stronger needs to.” But really, that is undermining the power of God. He even chooses the weak ones to bring greater glory to Himself. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” We need to be willing to step outside of our comfort zone and do things that we are too weak to do, like it says in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses…for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2. Feeling Unfit For the Job
Other times, we look at what we’re supposed to do and think “This is the wrong thing for me. I’m not good at that. I don’t know how to do that.” But, there were many people in the Bible that would seem like a bad choice for the job they had to do. Josiah was still a young man when he helped lead Israel back to God. Who would think that Rahab, a harlot, would guard the safety of the spies sent from Israel? The world would never choose the people that God does. That’s all just part of His splendor.
3. Having Made Many Mistakes Before
Often, we’re asked to do something for God and our immediate response is, “You don’t want me to do that. I’ve messed up too many times. I’ll make You look bad.” This is totally wrong! The gift of forgiveness is not just limited to securing our place in heaven. We are also allowed to do great things, in spite of our sinful past. Paul was one of these people. He went from persecuting the church to helping lead it. God can do similar things with you.
God isn’t just looking for someone great to do His work. He’s looking for the weak, the incapable, and the unlikely candidates, to serve. In using the weak, He confounds the wise men of the world and by doing so, brings Himself great glory. He desires to use you. Every one of us has a special purpose and it might not make sense, but we must trust that God is stronger than we are and knows where we should be. We must just be available to Him and willing to serve Him.
