At times when I am invited to preach in a colleague's church, I can experience anxiety. My mind becomes preoccupied with myself and what I perceive as my limitations. I engage in a conversation with myself wherein I am convinced I have nothing to offer, there are better preachers than me, and the people are going to dislike the sermon. When I buy into this type of thinking I am not only diminishing the gifts that God has given to me but in some ways disqualifying God Himself! God has uniquely gifted and called His people to serve in various capacities within the body of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 12. Paul does not mention in 1 Corinthians 12 certain qualifications to receive God's gifts such as what the culture often points to like intelligence, good looks, a certain economic status, or a particular ethnicity. The gifts are given by the Holy Spirit and received by those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. Thus, this is the only qualification necessary for God to use us in serving Him.
Testimonies Of The Unqualified
The Bible is filled with countless narratives of God using individuals whom others may have labeled as unqualified to serve God. Some of those who served the Lord came from backgrounds that were at times questionable and in some cases frightening. In the Old Testament, Abraham, "the father of many nations" with whom God established a covenant (Genesis 15) lied not once but twice about his relationship with his wife Sarah, telling the Egyptians (Genesis 12:10-20) and King Abimelech (Genesis 20:1-17) that she was his sister. David was considered an unlikely choice to be anointed king of Israel according to his family but as the Lord told Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7) In the New Testament, Mary most likely would not have been chosen to receive the "most popular girl in the class" award. She was not rich or famous but in God's eyes she didn't have to be head and shoulders above all others. God made his choice to anoint her to bear the Messiah. (Luke 1:26-38) Finally, Saul of Tarsus was one of the most feared men in all of Jerusalem for his zeal in persecuting the early church. (Act 8:1-3; 9:1-2) Saul of all people certainly wouldn't qualify to be a servant of Christ. Yet after his conversion (Acts 9:3-17), Saul, who later became referred to as Paul, (Acts 13:13) used the same zeal to preach the gospel to the Gentiles.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus
It's very easy to compare ourselves to some standard that the world or others set as to who is deemed "qualified" to carry out whatever the requirements of a particular task may entail. Sadly, the "comparison game" can and has crept into the church. Whenever a believer wishes they were as "godly" or gifted as another brother or sister they are forgetting about the One who created them and gifted them uniquely to serve Him. Whenever a small body of believers laments the fact that their numbers don't match up to the "mega" church down the street, they are forgetting that Christ is the Head of the church and He dwells in the midst of every congregation no matter what its size. When we come to understand that there is only One in whose eyes we are qualified, we can move forward in confidence knowing that as Paul states in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." In the words of the familiar hymn written in 1922 by Helen H. Lemmel, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace."
Shalom,
Pastor Sheree
I have been struggling over the past 8 months with osteoarthritis in my hands. I developed what is called a trigger thumb on my left hand. This condition can occur in any of the fingers. It is the result of an inflammation of the tendon which is responsible for allowing the ligaments to slide smoothly back and forth when our fingers are flexed. When the the tendon becomes irritated the ligaments catch and "trigger" causing a popping sound and subsequent pain. There are a number of different interventions to treat the problem. After consulting with a rheumatologist and receiving some initial treatments including a cortisone injection to reduce the swollen tendon, I was subsequently referred to an Occupational Therapist. During my time with the O.T. my thumb was initially placed in a splint to allow the tendon to rest and heal. However, my thumb became stiff as a result of inactivity and I was unable to bend it. I was then given a number of different exercises to help strengthen the thumb and improve flexibility. One of the exercises involved using therapeutic putty. The consistency of the putty is strong enough to be able to stretch and squeeze but not without challenging my thumb to work hard. The use of the putty reminded me of the Scriptures that speak of God as the Potter and we human beings as the clay. Isaiah 64:8 declares, "Yet You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand."(NIV)
WE ARE GOD'S HANDIWORK
Have you ever seen a potter working clay? The process involves working and reworking the clay until the initial formless mass is turned into a beautiful masterpiece. However, to create a work of art is a process that requires a lot of physical labor. Ephesians 2:10 states, "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (NIV) That word "handiwork" literally means "work of art." God is the Master Potter and we are the clay. God wants to transform us into a masterpiece but unlike the physical working of clay, God's process is one of working on us from the inside out. He is molding our spirits to ultimately become a work of art that reflects Jesus Christ. In other words, people need to be able to look at us and identify the "artist" as God. If physical clay could speak it would probably protest the pulling and pushing and shaping it is experiencing. It may want to be content to remain as a lifeless, formless, lump of clay. However, the potter knows it can become so much more once it is completed and people come to know the potter through their finished work. Likewise, when God is shaping us, we can complain as the process of being transformed closer to the image of God's Son is not always easy and at times painful. Isaiah 29:16 states, "You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, "You did not make me?" Can the pot say to the potter, "You know nothing?" (NIV)
WE ARE GOD'S MASTERPIECE
It's easy in the midst of struggles to believe we can solve the problem without God's help and guidance. However, we did not create ourselves and God knows us better than we know ourselves or are known by others because He created us. I am praying that my thumb will regain its flexibility and strength. Physical healing will only come through discipline and hard work. Our spiritual challenge is to trust God, the Master Potter, in the midst of the "shaping and molding" process. To trust that even though we don't know what the finished product will look like, God does, and we will be a masterpiece!
To God be the glory!
Pastor Sheree
Human beings are given five senses to experience their environment. The five senses are sight, smell, touch, hearing, and taste. To lose any one of these five senses can result in decreased pleasure and a diminished quality of life. It is through our senses that we connect to the natural world. A few weeks ago, I was reading in the Old Testament about an individual who through his sense of sight received a glimpse into another dimension--the spiritual world. In 2 Kings 6:8-17, we read about an incident in which the king of Aram was at war with Israel. Elisha, the prophet was given wisdom and discernment through the Holy Spirit to anticipate the king of Aram's plan to defeat Israel. Subsequently, Elisha was able to warn the king of Israel about the plan. The king of Aram became enraged and sent an army to find Elisha, capture him, and bring him to the king. The next morning Elisha's servant upon awakening looked out and saw the city surrounded by the king of Aram's army. His reaction was one of panic as he could not see any way of escape and he informed Elisha of the dilemma. Elisha responded, "Don't be afraid,..."Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (2 Kings 6:16 NIV) Elisha then prayed to the Lord to open the servant's eyes that he may see a different reality. "Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." (2 Kings 6:17b NIV)
Our God Is With Us
We are often like Elisha's servant. When we are experiencing challenges and feeling overwhelmed, we can often adopt an attitude of hopelessness and helplessness. We cannot see beyond the circumstances that lay in front of us. It's in those moments that we need to remember that the armies of heaven are surrounding us. God may not open our eyes to see chariots of fire like Elisha's servant. Nonetheless, when we seek God with all our heart we can at times experience His presence in unique ways. Our God is with us just as He was with the Israelites when they came to the Red Sea with the Egyptians in pursuit. (Exodus 14:14) Moses also reminded the Israelites how God went before them and fought their enemies as they moved through the wilderness towards the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 1:30-31) David in Psalm 35:1 exhorts the Lord, "Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me." (NIV)
Our God Fights For Us
The same God who fought for His people, Israel, fights for us. In fact, Paul in Ephesians encourages us to "be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." (Ephesians 6:10 NIV) Paul goes on point to the foundation of our strength in the Lord by putting on the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:11-17) So no matter what challenges you may face, know that you are surrounded by the armies of the Living God. He is our Defender and Protector. Paul declares,"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31 NIV) Don't limit your vision to what you see in the "natural" but rather ask the Lord to open the "spiritual "eyes of your heart that you may see Him more clearly at work in your life.
Praise the Lord!
Pastor Sheree
