February 11, 2016

 

My wife and I have a devotion that we go through every night, or try to go through, and what our devotion is about now is on the book of James.  The most recent session that we started was leading off with the third chapter in James.  Now if you aren’t familiar with James, the way I see his character is someone, just like any other Christian, that started off with some rough areas but when he finally surrendered everything to Christ that is when he was used the most.  When James writes to us, he doesn’t hold back, he shoots straight with everything.

Now the part that stood out and what I am writing about today is James 3:1, and it reads:  Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly.  Why does this stick out?  Because just a few days prior I was asked to fill in and help lead a Bible study with other adults when the main guy would be out.  Fast forward from the asking point, and I had gotten back with him and told him that I would accept his offer.

I didn’t see this verse by accident, I don’t believe in coincidences, I believe in the Holy Spirit.  Do I think it was there to scare me?  Absolutely not, I look at it like it is, a warning, a warning that doing this type of work, putting your influence on people that God gave you, is not something to take lightly.  There are so many impressionable people out there that are being filled with lies from false prophets and false teachers, telling them things they want to hear and what makes them feel good.

After I was asked, I prayed about it, and then I prayed every day until I saw him again.  The number one message that the God gave me and laid on my heart was…this is a growing opportunity.  That is exactly what this is, it is a way to tell others what God has done for me and let them know what He has laid on my heart.  Everyone who knows me, would probably think that public speaking is not my thing, I can be shy, timid, and I can get very nervous.  But the number one thing that I keep telling myself and I tell my wife, is that this may be hard, but this is who God uses, the people that don’t have confidence in themselves and I am learning more each and every day that I HAVE to lean on God and not on my own strength.

The few times that people have told me that they think I have the gift of teaching, I just kind of laughed in my head, because I never would have imagined to get an offer like this.  Do I believe in spiritual gifts, absolutely, but I also believe that when Christians figure out what there spiritual gift is, it is things that they are comfortable with, God doesn’t like comfortable, God wants to show what He can do through you and me in ways that people can’t even imagine.  Let God use you in some spectacular way, but the only way you can truly do that is by surrendering everything to Him…and I mean EVERYTHING.