Have you ever thought you weren't good enough? Ever thought your faith wasn't BIG enough? Ever thought that there was someone much better suited for the job than you? I find myself thinking this from time to time too. It mostly occurs in my Christian walk when I hear God call me to a task. Sometimes I have thought that I wasn't the right person for this or that because of my past. Certainly there are people MORE qualified who don't have pasts as colorful as mine. Surely, THEY are better suited to minister. Why, well because they DIDN'T fall into the sin that I did. They overcame the temptations and veered away from the traps that I stumbled into. THEY clearly are better at this than I am.
Well, if we all have to be perfect to be an instrument of God, then all is hopeless. There is not a perfect one here. I am certainly close to the top of that imperfect list. Fortunately for all of us, when God calls us, it is because we ARE the right person for the task at hand. Otherwise, He'd call someone else.
If our past failings and struggles were decisive in our ability to minister or be of use to God then what's up with King David? When I hear the voice of the enemy try to whisper doubt into my soul, I always remember King David. He was "God's Man". He did fall WAY short, however. But the good news is, HE RECOVERED and was used mightily by God. This King did unspeakable things. He had a monstrous past too. Probably much worse than yours. Look how God used him and blessed his life. Our pasts can be overcome. They can be used to propel us into service. I'd bet the name Uriah, moved King David forward in God service in ways we can't imagine. I'd bet the name Uriah never left David's mind. Do you have a name like that? Do you have one that moves you to be a better person, a stronger follower of Christ? I do. I have a few to be honest. OK, well, FOUR to be specific. There are four lives that will never be the same because of my wrong-doing, my selfishness, and my weakness. The enemy would like for those four names to paralyze me. To be honest, for a while they did. I carried so much regret and shame with me over them that I could barely move. I did that for quite a while. I bet there was a time that King David did too, but not for long.
It may not be other people that you damaged. Maybe it was yourself that you injured, maybe you still are. Do not let your past (or present) hold you back. Don't let the enemy use it against you. That's one of his most effective weapons against growing Christians. He will do everything he can to make you feel that you don't measure up. He wants you to be paralyzed by your own struggles whether they are past or present. He'll use anything that you let him to in order to strangle your potential and effectiveness as a follower of Christ and a light in the world. Use your struggles, failings, and your past as ammunition against him. Use them to fuel your fire against him. I'd bet anything that is something that King David had in his arsenal. Satan thought that the memory of Uriah and David's horrific behavior and actions would bring David to his knees in surrender. I see a very different thing in the life of David. He used it to bring himself to his knees alright--not knees bent in surrender to his past, but knees bent to God.
Give up your past, give God your struggles, and your weaknesses. Use them to launch forward in God's service. If you feel God calling you, never talk yourself out of it. Never let Satan talk you out of it. We all fail. We all struggle. We all fall WAY short. We are human. Me, you, your pastor, your most revered Christian friends and mentors are all human and all have many things we could let hold us back. Read about the life of King David. Reread it if it's been a while. Understand that he did unspeakable things in his life and God still chose to use him, love him, and bless him. Let David be a motivating biblical figure for you. He is for me--in so many ways! When Satan whispered the name of Uriah in David's ear, it moved him--forward. Satan whispers names in my ear too--quite often, hoping they will bring me to my knees. THEY DO--but in prayer and devotion which propel me forward in God's service. Be aware of the tricks and tools of your enemy...then use them against him! It's truly empowering! David's ears heard whispers of Uriah, what is being whispered in your ears? What are you doing with it?
Well, if we all have to be perfect to be an instrument of God, then all is hopeless. There is not a perfect one here. I am certainly close to the top of that imperfect list. Fortunately for all of us, when God calls us, it is because we ARE the right person for the task at hand. Otherwise, He'd call someone else.
If our past failings and struggles were decisive in our ability to minister or be of use to God then what's up with King David? When I hear the voice of the enemy try to whisper doubt into my soul, I always remember King David. He was "God's Man". He did fall WAY short, however. But the good news is, HE RECOVERED and was used mightily by God. This King did unspeakable things. He had a monstrous past too. Probably much worse than yours. Look how God used him and blessed his life. Our pasts can be overcome. They can be used to propel us into service. I'd bet the name Uriah, moved King David forward in God service in ways we can't imagine. I'd bet the name Uriah never left David's mind. Do you have a name like that? Do you have one that moves you to be a better person, a stronger follower of Christ? I do. I have a few to be honest. OK, well, FOUR to be specific. There are four lives that will never be the same because of my wrong-doing, my selfishness, and my weakness. The enemy would like for those four names to paralyze me. To be honest, for a while they did. I carried so much regret and shame with me over them that I could barely move. I did that for quite a while. I bet there was a time that King David did too, but not for long.
It may not be other people that you damaged. Maybe it was yourself that you injured, maybe you still are. Do not let your past (or present) hold you back. Don't let the enemy use it against you. That's one of his most effective weapons against growing Christians. He will do everything he can to make you feel that you don't measure up. He wants you to be paralyzed by your own struggles whether they are past or present. He'll use anything that you let him to in order to strangle your potential and effectiveness as a follower of Christ and a light in the world. Use your struggles, failings, and your past as ammunition against him. Use them to fuel your fire against him. I'd bet anything that is something that King David had in his arsenal. Satan thought that the memory of Uriah and David's horrific behavior and actions would bring David to his knees in surrender. I see a very different thing in the life of David. He used it to bring himself to his knees alright--not knees bent in surrender to his past, but knees bent to God.
Give up your past, give God your struggles, and your weaknesses. Use them to launch forward in God's service. If you feel God calling you, never talk yourself out of it. Never let Satan talk you out of it. We all fail. We all struggle. We all fall WAY short. We are human. Me, you, your pastor, your most revered Christian friends and mentors are all human and all have many things we could let hold us back. Read about the life of King David. Reread it if it's been a while. Understand that he did unspeakable things in his life and God still chose to use him, love him, and bless him. Let David be a motivating biblical figure for you. He is for me--in so many ways! When Satan whispered the name of Uriah in David's ear, it moved him--forward. Satan whispers names in my ear too--quite often, hoping they will bring me to my knees. THEY DO--but in prayer and devotion which propel me forward in God's service. Be aware of the tricks and tools of your enemy...then use them against him! It's truly empowering! David's ears heard whispers of Uriah, what is being whispered in your ears? What are you doing with it?
5 comments:
i love this post, it's very dear to me now - one because it touches my heart so deeply and and two because my favorite grandparent growing up was my Grampie. his name was Uriah :)
he was the sweetest most gently spirited man and so tender and kind.
i didn't know until a few years ago that his was even a biblical name and then to find out the story of Uriah in the Bible was amazing and you have put those feelings i've always had about that story into perfect and beautiful words.
well done my precious friend - bravo!
love always,
kimberly
Great post! Love your new look, too!
Although the Blood of Christ washes our soul thoroughly and completely, you are correct to observe that our memory seems to be left intact. That is so we can remember our past and not make the same kind of mistake again. Only the enemy would take that memory meant to protect us, and throw it in our face to keep us from being effective in God's service. Great insight!
I found your blog through writer...interrupted. This post kept me spellbound until I had read every word.
Thank you. It is something I will mull over all day.
beautifully written!
David is my hero too.
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