THE LEAST DESERVING
Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
Ephesians 3:8 (NLT)
Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
Why does God delight in using unlikely people? The Bible is filled with stories of God choosing people who, on paper, may not have been the best choice.
* Moses was slow of speech.
* Gideon was the least in his family.
* David was a forgotten shepherd.
* Peter denied Jesus.
* Paul persecuted God's people.
The list could continue. God chose murderers, outsiders, anxious hearts, immature believers, the overlooked, the broken and the unlikely to build His church. He didn't base His choices on clean records or impressive appearances. Instead, He chose people who depended on Him and revealed His power through their weakness.
This is how Paul, a persecutor of the church, turned church planter, was able to boast in his weakness. He didn't see his past choices as something to hide, nor did he feel superior because of his education or conversion. Rather, he saw God's power revealed through him despite his weakness, as an even greater testament to God's love, power, grace and mercy.
That means when we're strong and competent, we depend on Him. When we're poor and needy, we depend on Him. When we know the right answer, we depend on Him. When we don't have the right answer, we depend on Him. In every season, choose to surrender control, trust Jesus, and let your weakness and strength point you back to Him. There's no season or circumstance in which we outgrow our need for Jesus.
APPLICATION: Where am I holding on to control instead of trusting Jesus to work through my strengths and weaknesses?
PRAYER: Jesus, thank You for using imperfect people. Teach me humility and help me depend on Your strength alone. Amen.
"… Our Father in heaven…" Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
• What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
"… may your name be kept holy." Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
• What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
"May your Kingdom come soon." Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
• Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
"Give us today the food we need," Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
• Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I'm around today?
"and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us" Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
• Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
"And don’t let us yield to temptation…" Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
• Is there anywhere I'm vulnerable to temptation?