Do you feel that God has Called you to do something for Him?
From the time that I accepted Jesus Christ into my life, I knew His Call to ministry on my life. That journey began many years ago.
I received Jesus into my life four years before I met Bruce. For that time, I was involved with my local church, either as a student of God’s Word and His Ways, or as part of the team for various ministries.
The things that I learned in those days became an invaluable part of my life back then, and those lessons are just as important to my life and ministry today.
When Bruce and I met, I was able to tell him about Jesus, and what He meant to me. I can’t speak about my own calling without mentioning Bruce, as he is my Husband, and he fills many roles in my life including that he is my Ministry Partner. However, I will write mainly about my journey and how God has led me.
Bruce and I have filled many roles in our local church, and in the process we have been blessed to learn some things we do well, and are a good ‘fit’ for doing. We’ve also learned some things about where we don’t fit in as naturally, and probably shouldn’t plan on doing in the future. There are others in the Body of Christ that are well suited to those tasks.
God doesn’t expect us to be good at everything. He has gifted us to do specific things.
A Scripture that changed everything for me was 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. Those verses remind us, “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” [Emphasis Mine]
I remember the first time that portion of Scripture really became real to me in a personal way. I had read those words many times before, but somehow this time was different.
Low self-esteem has limited me in some ways. But, now I realize that God has given special gifts and talents to me that are unique just to me, as are the tasks that God has planned for me. He has given me everything I will need to fulfil His plan for my life. If I don’t already have a specific gift or talent right now, He will equip me in the exact right time for the task that is ahead of me.
God has a special plan and purpose for each one of us. Not all of our abilities will be the same as someone else’s, because we are not all called to do the same things. Our heavenly Father asks the same question of all of His children though. That question is, “Are you willing to go where I send you?”
My answer to Him is “Yes, I am,” but sometimes that willingness challenges me more than others.
For me, “being sent” by God, hasn’t always resulted in physically going somewhere far away, rather, He has sent me into new situations that are taking place in my daily sphere of influence.
I used to worry that I was of unable to do anything of any real benefit for the work of God’s kingdom, because of my physical limitations. Over time, God has proven to me that I have no reason to fear. My willingness to be used by Him, however He sees fit, opens the door to Him working in and through me in the most effective and awesome ways.
My mobility is a hindrance to me being able to do everything that I ideally want to do. But that is not the defining factor in my life, in terms of usefulness to God or anything else.
I have a real love/hate relationship with technology. There is so much more about it that I need to learn, and it doesn’t always do I want it to do. But, the use of technology has opened many doors and possibilities for me.
Through the Internet, especially the use of E-mail and Social Media, I am able to fulfil God’s Call on my life to be a Teacher of His Word through writing, and I’m working on some things that will enable me to speak to people through the use of technology.
God knows my situation, and my willingness to serve Him. He also knows my needs, and it’s been my experience that He is ready, willing, and able to supply everything I need in order to be successful in every assignment from Him.
After I’d written “Our Father,” and my life in ministry began to branch out, I made some mistakes that ultimately became part of my learning experience on this journey.
I was inexperienced about how to proceed with this new life of being known as an “Author and Speaker,” or “Bible Teacher”, so I tried to follow other people’s examples of how it should be done. That was a very bad idea.
I learned that comparing myself to anyone else isn’t the best of ideas. That approach did nothing more than make me feel like a failure, or that I was somehow letting God down. Neither of which was ever true.
What works for someone else, isn’t necessarily going to work for me, nor did God intend it that way. He made me unique, and I’ve lived a life that is completely different than anyone else. I can relate to some people that others may not be able to.
I have strengths where others have weaknesses, and I have weaknesses where others are strong. My specific strengths qualify me to reach out to people that others may not be able to impact like I can – because of my specific life experiences.
These days, I feel that God is asking me to be willing to share parts of my life’s journey with others, that until now, I have largely kept fairly private. That’s a hard thing to do. Opening yourself up to share the broken parts of your life, your weaknesses, your hurts and vulnerabilities, is not an easy thing to do. But, with God’s help, I am doing it, for His glory.
Very early in my journey with the Lord, He led me to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, which says, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
My desire is for God to be glorified in my life, and sometimes that means allowing my weaknesses and imperfections to seen. But, the awesome privilege that I gain is seeing God work through those parts of me, and having His strength revealed through my weakness.
I have learned the value of Proverbs 3:5-6, which says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Trusting the Lord with everything in my life is an ongoing decision that I have to make over and over again. But, His trustworthiness has never failed me.
Some people could easily look at me and question my confidence in God’s faithfulness because of my ongoing health issues. I often struggle with obstacles in my path, but I am never alone. God is with me through it all, plus He has blessed me with many people in my life who come alongside of me to help me along the way. He has always made a way for me.
To Him be the Glory!!!
