"She is only lost if those around her give up totally"
And it got me thinking.
Sometimes it seems like all i hear is talk like we've lost the battle. One of my pastors calls is a Prisoner of War attitude and for so many, it seems to consume us!
"its so hard"
"i cant do it"
"im not good enough"
"i wouldnt be able to do it"
notice-each sentence begins with 'I'
since when did everything revolve around us?
those of us who have people around us who dont know Christ (and that is most of us) have got to start to heed the call of God to "Go and preach the good news to the corners of the earth" .
of course we cant do it, and obviously its hard. we will never be good enough and if we go on our own strength we will never be able to do it.
but we can do everything "through Christ who gives us strength"
and we need to get out there and make the gospel known.
"Preach the gospel always....if necessary use words"
St Francis Assisi
Paul, in his letters, freely admits that he is not an accomplished speaker. He was so poor infact, that it says in the Bible that a young guy fell out of the window asleep whilst listening to Paul speak! Yet, his words come deep from within a passionate heart and make up a large portion of the New Testament.
So we cant really use the excuse of not being good enough.
Last summer i learnt something new. well...infact....i learnt a few new things, but this was one of them that really touched my heart.
God does not choose the equipped
He equips the chosen.
God doesnt choose people who can do something already! He doesnt call someone who thinks they are well accomplished, too accomplished to do a task that He has in store....
He looks for the willing of heart.
He looks for those who want to be used.
Not those who think they are too good to do anything.
In some cases this is obviously different-we cannot put God in a box.
Look at Joseph for instance, although that story illustrates more of the point that it takes time for God to grow us and move us into the authoritative positions that He wants us in.
we need to be willing.
we need to be driven to rise up and call the world into the place that they should be
to break the lies of the enemy
and to call out to God for Him to bring His kingdom
(we cannot do it ourselves)
the giftings and callings on our lives are each seperate and unique to us. some are called to the secular world and its diverse occupations, and some are called to missions, to give up their lives, to move, even just one town. whatever it is that God has speficiaflly and uniquiely designed for our lives, its all part of His great work, and we have no place to say no.
does a clay pot look at its maker and criticize the work of His hands?
does a pencil look at its owner and tell it how to be used?
does a son of God look at the amazing universe and then proceed to tell God how it should be run?
highly doubful if we were ever to see God face to face.
yet everytime we deny His plans for our lives aren't we saying that subversivly?
God has given us these gifts and talents for the use of His kingdom to come.
surely not?!
i thought that they were for my own personal gain?
sure! you can use them here for your own fame and wealth.
but didnt Jesus say that the Pharisees and Saducees got their reward on earth already by doing that?
there is a much greater reward in heaven for using our lives and its gifts for the advancing of the Kingdom.
so going back to my original point....
we are called to the lost. period. no arguing, however much id like to!
and its only when we give up by turning our own way that the lost really have no hope.
see, its not really all about us at all.....
we have a great hope and good news to the poor and downhearted, which is really all those who dont know Christ.
and we have a divine calling, spoken by Jesus Himself-to go and tell the good news.
so we should really go.
because their eternities depend on it.
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