There was once a group of tourists who were visiting a small village in Switzerland. Looking out over the sparseness of its population one tourist sarcastically asked out loud, "Were there any great men born in this town?" One of the locals overheard his question and blurted out,"nope, only babies."
The fact is, in light of our sinfulness, weakness, brokenness, poverty of spirit, and extreme limitation, before God there are no great men and women, only babies. Yet, these are the ones who God loves to use to display the glory of His truth and worth. "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth" (Romans 9:17).
My favorite writer and pastor, John Piper, once wrote "God ordains that we gaze on His glory, dimly mirrored in the ministry of his flawed servants. He intends for us to consider their lives and peer through the imperfections of their faith and behold the beauty of their God."
When you read of great missionaries, preachers, and servants of God you are reading stories of great grace. Throughout history God has triumphed in grace and manifested grace in using weak, broken, sinful men and women like you and me. He is not looking for greatness, talent, brilliance, cleverness, charisma, beauty, or any of the accouterments that the world would use as a criteria to be used of God. The only kind of people that God uses are those who do not depend upon their own gifts, talents, or resources. All ministry is nothing but a grace from God because the faithfulness of God triumphs over the flaws and weakness of man.
I am writing in the midst of a deeply contemplative and reflective season of my journey. It is a season where I no longer have a church or a ministry. at 57 years old and after 33 years of ministry I have taken inventory of my life and realize more than ever how highly limited and flawed that I am before God. I have been amazed that God has even used someone like me and there are moments when I wonder if God will ever use me again. But then I go back to the foundation of my life and ministry for the past 33 years and find fresh hope and vision and power to look ahead with hope and joy. I must build my life and ministry on the rock solid reality of God's omnipotent grace.
God's glorious grace will triumph over all of your guilty impotency!
Moses stuttered and was a murderer.
David had an affair,committed murder, and abused power.
John Mark deserted Paul.
Hosea's wife was a prostitute.
Jacob was a liar.
Jonah was a runner from the will of God.
Gideon and Thomas both doubted.
Noah got drunk.
Peter denied Jesus three times.
Paul was a persecutor of Christians.
Augustine battled with lust.
Martin Luther had a dirty mouth and could be overly harsh.
Calvin took part in the burning of someone who did not believe in the Trinity.
Yet God used each and every one of them mightily!
God has always used "cracked pots" to "show that this all surpassing power comes from God and not from us" (2 Corinthians 4:7).
Every flawed servant of God can testify, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known" (1 Corinthians 13:12) and "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." (Philippians 3:12).
John Newton knew his limitations and flaws as well as anyone that I have read and wrote,
"I am not the man I ought to be, I am not the man I wish to be, and I am not the man I hope to be, but by the grace of God, I am not the man I used to be."
Oh dear reader, do not be discouraged by your weakness, sins, and flaws. A sense of ones own weakness can paralyze the will and cause us to shrink from ministry and God's work in despair and defeat. Do not be daunted by your limitations and flaws, embrace the grace of God that triumphs over each and every flaw in your life. God has never used a flawless, man, save one named Jesus Christ. Nor will He ever until Jesus comes again.
I have learned that in the case of my own weakness, to learn with the apostle Paul that the grace of Christ is more than sufficient, and that my strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). The victory song of the weak was sung by Paul and has been sung by myriads of broken saints for over 2000 years, "I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Your limitations, sins, flaws, and weaknesses can make you sink or swim. We can learn to say with all of our weak predecessors,"I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong"(2 Corinthians 12:10).
Oh dear reader, never, never, never give up serving the Lord. I have been very tempted to in my season of brokenness but I believe that God has a destiny for each one of you and a great work for everyone to do. Do it with all your might and with all of your flaws and sins and by His grace God will magnify the glory of His grace working in you.
Pastor Bill
2 comments:
Good thigns to remember, thanks Bill! :)
Thank you Bill for these very encouraging words,the Lord has been speaking this very thing to me today...His strength and my weakness... the only way I can persevere and endure is resting on His strength and His grace which is always more than sufficient. He knows our weakness and frame and He is more than able to give us what we need for life and godliness...in fact every single thing pertaining to this life. He strengthens me through His presence, through His word, through the love and support of friends, through the beauty of His creation and through His still small voice. And I cannot even limit it to these. God is so good, yes we are weak, very weak, but oh He is strong so very strong!! All glory, honor and praise be to God, the author and finisher of our faith, he is faithful to complete that work He has begun in each one of us.
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