God Can Use You


NEWS FLASH--we are never disqualified from serving Jesus.  The ways in which we serve may change but if we are a follower of Jesus then we are commanded to share the gospel with others and to love others.  Go into the world and preach the gospel. (Matthew 28:19-20)  Love God.  (Matthew 22:37) Love others.  (Matthew 22:39)  These are commands we see in Scripture.  They do not say when you're life is perfect then preach the gospel,  when your home is organized and clean then love God, when you have a beautiful prayer journal and spend hours in the Word everyday then you can love others.  No!!!!  They are commands for us to follow in the present moment.

I used to be a good girl and have life all put together nicely.  I went to church every Sunday.  I read my Bible everyday and kept a prayer journal.  I taught Sunday School.  I volunteered in my kids classes.  I took meals to hurting people.  I volunteered at every event possible.  My home was clean and organized.  We had meals each night around the table.  I had a wonderful, strong marriage.  I went to Sonic every day just so I could have my afternoon conversation with Summer, my special friend who needed to know about Jesus.  This is the kind of person God uses to reach others for Christ, right?  Right, but it's not the only kind of person God chooses to use.

disorganizedChaos.jpgToday my life looks different.  I go to church sometimes, definitely not every Sunday,  I read my Bible some days.  Keeping a prayer journal is on my wish list of things to do.  I don't even go to Sunday School much less teach it.   Volunteering for events is too hard now.  My home is disorganized chaos most of the time.  Dinner is eaten in shifts in the living room most days.  My marriage is like a roller coaster, some days are up and some days are down.  And instead of leisurely afternoon trips to Sonic, there are doctors appointments,  counseling sessions, gymnastics, art classes, band practice, and school work to be completed.  I am totally disqualified from being used by God, right?  Wrong.

You're season of life is probably different than mine.
-- Maybe you are in your retirement years and don't see how God could use you.
--Maybe you have gone back to work and your time is limited.  
--Maybe you're a new parent and you're life is totally centered around a new family.  
--Maybe you're job has a big deadline coming up and you're working long hours with little time for your family.  
--Maybe your marriage is struggling.  
--Maybe your children are wayward.  
We all find ourselves in different seasons of life!  And when our seasons of life changes, we often feel disqualified from serving God.  Or we don't believe that God can use us in our own personal craziness.


loveOthers.jpgSatan would love nothing better than to convince each of us that we are inadequate to serve God, that we are too busy to love others, and that our lives are messy therefore, our testimony will not be heard.  However, that is not how God works.  God used Abraham, David, and Jonah to love others and preach the gospel.  His plans are to use you too!

Father I pray that today you would open my eyes to how you would choose to use me.  How may I serve you in my family?  In my church? In my community?  Father set a fire in my heart to make time for loving others.  Do not allow Satan to convince me I'm too busy, inadequate, or messed up.  Help me walk firmly in the truth of your Word and obedient to your commands. Convict me quickly when I miss an opportunity that you have placed before me.  Open my eyes to see where I am to join you in your work.  Empower me to lay aside my selfish desires for today and walk with an openness into where you choose to take me today.  Give me flexibility to change my plans for You.  Right now Father fill me with your love so that I am overflowing.  Amen.

--Karen Smith

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Out of Darkness

Image
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." 1 Peter 2:9 "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; a light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness." Isaiah 9:2 I grew up in the country.  There wasn’t much besides the two miles of woods behind my house and lots of outdoors.  My best friend lived about half a mile down the road.  During the summer we would spend most of the day in the woods behind our houses.  At some point in the afternoon or evening one of our mothers would yell into the woods for us to come home. Emerging from the woods I was always surprised at just how light it still was.  In the forest the darkness was deep well before sunset.  And it had come so gradually that I didn’t realize how dark it had become.  Things had lost their detail and color.  But, just on t
Read more

Losing My Religion

Image
'My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.' Galatians 2:20-21 'For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.' Galatians 5:1 Defining religion is difficult.  I looked at numerous online dictionaries, and even English and language academics have difficulty describing it.  Since they can't agree, so I will provide my definition: religion is a means that men use to earn God's favor; by general action and sacrifice.  If you've got a better definition, I would love to read it. I went to a beautiful concert of one of my favorite artists on Saturday.  Kirk Franklin.  It was a blast.  After the show, I bought h
Read more