God loves to use weak people…

We all have weaknesses. We may try to not think about them, deny them, get defensive about them, but we have them. The can be emotional flaws, intellectual imperfections, or circumstances that are beyond our control that weaken us like financial or relational limitations. It’s what we do, when we are faced with our weaknesses that makes the difference.God has a different perspective on our weaknesses. “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are higher than your ways.” Isaiah 55:9 We think that God wants to use our strengths when he really is glorified in our weaknesses instead. We want to “put our best foot forward,” and be known for out strengths. But God thinks differently… “God purposely chose the weak things of the world to confound the mighty.” 1 Cor 1:27 Your weaknesses are not an accident. They are the very things in your life that God wants to use to demonstrate His power!

If God used only perfect people, then nothing would get done because none of us is flawless. The Bible is full of example of people that were mightily used by God, but had major imperfections and did extraordinary things in spite of their flaws and weaknesses.

It might be good to define a weakness. It is not something that we can change or a sin such as overeating or impatience. It is something that you inherited that you have no power to change. It can be a physical limitation such as a handicap or illness. It may be an emotional limitation such as a trauma or personality quirk. It can even be an intellectual challenge, because we are not all born super bright or talented.

The good news is that God is never limited by our limitations! When we feel like our weaknesses are the very things that would disqualify us from serving God, we find that they are the very things, when properly related to, that qualify us for serving God. It is from our weaknesses that we are made strong.

The first step we need to make however, is to admit our weaknesses. We need to own up to them, stop pretending that they don’t exist and we have it all together. Be honest. Learn to identify them.

The second thing we need to do is to be content with your weaknesses. Paul was someone in the Bible that asked God several times to remove a “thorn” or weakness that he had, but God never took it away. Instead of feeling dejected and depressed about it, Paul says, ” I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know that is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses.” 2 Cor. 12:9 Contentment is an expression of faith in the goodness of God. Basically it says to God, “God you know what is best for me and I know you love me.”

Our weakness is a reminder that we need to depend on God for his strength. Our weakness is a reminder to not become arrogant. It can be something that keeps our ego’s in check and keep us from running ahead of God. Our weakness can actually open doorways of new fellowship with others. Have you ever met one of those super “have it together” people? They almost put off an air of “I don’t need you.” On the other hand, genuine people who admit their weaknesses can be the best friends and put you at ease because they are “human” They understand. They care.

It’s those areas of weakness that you are the most ashamed of that God wants to use to bless others with. Hard to believe but true. It is important to honestly share your weakness. True ministry begins with vulnerability. The more you take down your mask, let down your guard and share your struggles, the more God will use you in service. The more honest you are, the more grace you get and you will receive grace from others. Vulnerability is an endearing quality. We are naturally attracted to humble people and it is the pathway to intimacy with others. Something we desperately need…

How about this one? This is fun. You need to glory in your weaknesses! Get excited and boast about our weakness? That feels crazy doesn’t it? Instead of being a poser.. and pretending that you are so strong and mighty, see yourself as a trophy of Gods grace. When Satan comes to you and points out just how weak and frail you are … agree with him and pour out your praise for Jesus who “understand our weaknesses” and for the Holy Spirit that “helps us in our weaknesses.”

Our weaknesses are the very things that God has allowed in our lives so that his strength is perfected in us. Out of our weaknesses come Gods strength. Don’t limit God’s power by trying to hide them, deny them or get defensive about them. They are there for a reason. Your limitations are not Gods limitations. Even the greatest handicap that we may have is no match for the boundless grace that comes as we offer it up to God and “Glory in our weakness.” God uses weak people. Praise God!

Being a servant is a mental thing. It is an attitude, and God looks more on the attitude of our heart and why we do things more than what we actually do. In 2 Chronicles 25:2 it says that King Amaziah lost God’s favor “he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not with a true heart.” You mean to say that we can do what is right, but not do it with the right heart? Yes…it all boils down to attitude…

Real servants think more about others than they think about themselves. It’s not that we don’t think about ourselves at all, it’s that we think about ourselves less. When we are exhorted to “lose our lives” for Christ’s sake, that is the process of “forgetting” ourselves in service to others. It’s about focus. When you stop focusing on your own needs, you can begin to see the needs of others.

When we think of Jesus, we see someone who, as our example, “emptied himself taking on the form of a servant.” Philippians 2:7 When was the last time you emptied yourself out on the behalf of someone else? It is a rare quality because we are by nature very self serving people. Most of the time we use our service to get someone to recognize us, be admired, or serve our own goals. If we honestly look at our hearts, our attitudes can be questionable. This is why each day challenges us to humble ourselves as circumstances “de-center” us and change our attitudes towards service. When I am given the choice to meet my own needs, or meet the needs of others, what I choose shows me where I really live. Self-denial is at the core of true servanthood.

Servants think like stewards not owners. Now…this one is a big one for most of us. What we think about what we “own” will affect our choices and how we serve. Here’s the interesting part… we don’t “own” anything. Our Father has entrusted us, as stewards, all of the resources we have. God is the one who “owns” everything and real servants remind themselves of this every day.

With that in mind, we have to ask ourselves how is that working for you? How are you handling the resources that God has entrusted to you? If you are like most people, this is an area of great and needed improvement, and in order to become a true servant of God, you have to settle the issue of money once and for all.

Money, money, money… it can motivate you, hold you, cause fear if you don’t have it, and be your master. It can be the greatest distraction or a great ally. It can be your master, or you can master it. You can use it to build your kingdom, or you can make a lot of it and build the real Kingdom. Jesus spoke more about money that he spoke about heaven or hell. The bottom line is this… ” no servant can serve two masters. You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke 16:13

Living for ministry and living for money are mutually exclusive. Wealth is not a sin. It doesn’t mean that God wants you to live in poverty. Failing to use money for God’s glory is a sin. God uses money to test your faithfulness as a servant.

Real servants think about their work, not what others are doing. What you do is important, but comparing what you do with what others do is foolish and a waste of time. Remember the story of Mary and Martha? One of the sisters was busy working in the kitchen, and the other took the most expensive thing she owned, a costly perfume, and poured it on Jesus worshiping Him. Mary was pretty upset about the fact that Mary wasn’t helping, the disciples were upset because they saw dollars signs going down the drain, and Jesus.. well… he said it was “significant” Matt. 26:10. Martha shouldn’t have been criticizing Mary’s act of service. This is not a competition. We are all on the same team. If you find yourself critical of another ministry, perhaps you need to look at what are you doing and think about that…

Servants base their identity in Christ. Servants have nothing to prove and they are not looking for approval. They are not trying to prove their worth by what they do because they have settled their identity in Christ. Only secure people can be true servants. Insecure people are always worried about how they appear to others. They fear the exposure of weaknesses and hide beneath layers and layers of protective pride and pretense. When we give up measuring our meaning by the yardstick of others, we become free to be compassionate and serve. When you base your worth and identity in Christ you are freed from expectations of others and you can see clearly to serve them best.

Servants think of their ministry as an opportunity not an obligation. They enjoy what they do. They serve the Lord with “gladness.” Joy is in their hearts as they reach out to help meet needs. They have hearts full of grace, because they are genuinely thankful for what God has done in their lives. They know that the highest level of worship and the greatest use of their lives is in giving their lives away. The real joy comes from service, not from a place of some sort of duty, or obligation but the love that is shed abroad” in our hearts. God will begin to use us as we change our thinking and act like true servants. It’s never to late, and quite frankly… God is waiting..

It really is amazing to see different perspectives on the same topic isn’t it? The “worlds” way of doing things and biblical ways of doing things. The two are “worlds” apart…

For instance, we are bombarded with the idea that to “get ahead” and be successful we must climb the ladder of success and sometimes that means climbing on top and over other people to get “there,” that place of power and prestige. This is a place where you can demand service (in a nice way of course..) from other people. You have arrived. Men tend to be more prone to this, however women are just as tempted to have this attitude as well. It isn’t a well advertised concept to live like a servant, in a self-serving culture.

Jesus had a different perspective. He didn’t measure greatness by status, he measured it by service. It’s not how many people serve you….it’s how many people you serve. We acknowledge how important great leadership is and even have thousands of books written on the subject, but the idea of servant leadership seems foreign. God has shaped us to be Christ-like and that is in the form of a servant.

Here’s something interesting though… in order to be an effective servant, we have to have a heart of a servant. You can give yourself to many things, helping as an usher, teaching Sunday school, pick up chairs after a meeting, help direct traffic in the parking lot, you name it… anyone can do it. No real special gift is required, it just requires character. It is even possible to serve in a church for a lifetime without ever being a servant. It is a matter of the heart… you need to have a servants heart.

How do you know if you have a servants heart or not? Jesus said, “You can tell what they are, by what they do.” Matt. 7:16 It’s what we do that shows whether or not we have a servants heart.

Real servants are not just fitting service into an already busy schedule as a part of a to-do list. They are available to serve when called upon or when the need arises. Funny thing about needs arising… they don’t happen on our time schedule and it’s usually inconvenient! Are we available to God anytime? Can God come in and mess up our plans? Do we become resentful about the people or situations that create these inconvenient problems for us? Or.. do we remind ourselves that we are part of an army of servants, called upon at any time to show mercy or help out. Interruptions can be divine appointments for ministry and we can welcome the opportunity to serve.

Real servants look for ways to serve. They take initiative! They don’t wait to be asked to serve, they don’t “hang back” in the wings hoping no one sees them. They are alert to opportunities and seize them when they come up. Like John Wesley said ” Do all the good you can by all the means you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” This pretty much sums it up doesn’t it?

Real servants simply do the best they can with what they have. You can never wait until the “time is right” because that time never comes. It’s like putting off starting a Procrastinators Club. It will never be right enough, good enough or perfect enough. Less than perfect service always beats the best of intentions!

Many people put off service because they don’t feel “good enough.” Unfortunately the idea of serving with “excellence” has intimidated many who feel just like average people. You will always be good enough to start serving somewhere. That is how we all start. I look at my daughters beginning in gymnastics. She is so happy to be there learning new things and getting the floor routine down. It didn’t start that way.. but it is great seeing her get better and better. This is how God views us… we start something, from the heart, imperfect as it may be, then we get better at it.

Real servants do every task with equal dedication. Whatever the size of the task whether big or small, do it with all of your heart. There will never be a task to small for you. There was nothing beneath Jesus. He washed feet, he cooked, helped with children and served lepers. It’s the small tasks that show a big heart. It’s the often overlooked little tasks that others don’t think of.. (Guys with wives…take note… they are really good at this.)Great opportunities often disguise themselves as little tasks.

Real servants ate faithful to their ministry. They fulfill their promises, complete their tasks, don’t leave jobs undone, stay committed and don’t quit. Faithfulness is such a rare quality, but it is the uncompromising quality of a true servant. Can you be counted upon by others? Jesus himself will welcome you into his arms one day by saying “Well done my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in the handling of this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” Matthew 25:23

Real servants maintain a low profile. Your service is not meant to call attention to yourself, even though you may be recognized for what you do. Whether or not someone actually sees what you do is not the point. The Pharisees practiced their service to be “seen of men,” so other people could see how “spiritual they are. Self promotion and service don’t mix. What you do may not be noticed in the eyes of men, but oh how it is recognized and appreciated in the eyes of God! Don’t get discouraged even though you may think that your contribution is small. It’s great in the site of God!

God deserves your best…

When we consider how God has “shaped” us, and we discover our Spiritual gifts, see the Heart and passions we have, what natural Abilities we have, appreciate and acknowledge our unique Personality, and how our Experiences have molded us, we then can offer this back to God for service. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect or worry about what we don’t have, he wants us to use what we do have.

The best use of our lives is to serve God out of our shape. How has he gifted you? Do you even know? If you have ever tried to do something outside of your “shape” you know it don’t you? It really is a waste of time and energy, as well as you wind up feeling like a square peg trying to be shoved into a round hole. This is not how God intended your talents to be used. In order to do this though, you need to really discover your shape, learn to enjoy it and develop it to the fullest potential.

“Do not act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to do.” Ephesians 5:17 It’s time to find out who we are and act with deliberate intention to use what we discover, and it starts today. Do not let another day pass without clarifying what God intends for you to be and to do.

We begin the process by assessing our gifts and talents. This isn’t as hard as we would want to make it to be! Take a look at what you are good and what you are not good at. Make a list. Ask other people what they think. Tell them that you don’t want compliments, you want the truth. Spiritual gifts and natural abilities are always confirmed by others. If you think you are gifted with being able to sing, but everyone around you says that you can’t sing on key, maybe that’s not the place to serve…

Where have you already been successful? Where has there already been good fruit in my life? If you see an area of success, then you may consider “experimenting” with that area in your area of service for God. Where do you feel the most fully alive? What do I like doing that I completely lose track of time? Do I like being by myself or a part of a team? Do I enjoy competing or cooperating?

Many brothers and sisters, and even non-believers think that God calls them to a life of fruitless sacrifice and meaningless hard service. This is a lie and a misrepresentation of the intimate heart of God. He never intended you to be a sad servant, just waiting to get to heaven where you can be happy. The greatest joy on earth is realizing the person you were meant to be, and joyfully serving out of that place. The joy of the Lord comes from being who he called you to be. You need to see that…

As you review your past experiences, see how God may have used those to help you be who you are as well. Have you had painful experiences that you would rather forget. Maybe you were abused. Maybe you failed in a business or in a marriage. Perhaps you witnessed one or both of your parents passing away. These are significant areas of pain and shaping that God will use if you let him. Your experience can help someone else get through a rough time. It’s not areas to be forgotten, it’s areas to be healed and redeemed. God is merciful and compassionate….

We then move on to accept and enjoy our shape. Now that is an interesting idea isn’t it? Accept and enjoy our shape? What if I don’t like my shape?… after all I am not like “so and so” who has their life so together… they are so smart and they don’t seem to struggle like I do, and they have more money than me, and I seem to barely make it paycheck to paycheck…blah blah blah blah… STOP!

The Bible says ” What right have you as a human being to cross examine God? The pot has no right to say to the potter, ‘Why did you make me this shape?’ Surely a potter can do what he likes with the clay.” Romans 9:20

Better get used to it my friend. Accept and enjoy how the potter has shaped you… don’t compare yourself. There will always be someone who will make you look real good, and someone else who can make you look like an idiot. We look best just as we have been designed, not trying to please everyone, or be someone who we aren’t. Comparisons steal our joy.

Just as we have been given physical muscles that need exercise to stay in shape or they atrophy and cannot work the way God intended, so are the talents God has given us. They need to be exercised or we lose them. Scary thought but true.. We need to practice with them. You are not born with any talent fully developed. For instance you may have a gift of music and be able to hear and sing notes on key. It takes practice to learn to read and play music though.

In the same way, we have opportunities to practice our gifts, grow and mature by using them. Maybe you like kids… have you ever thought that you could help teach kids, lead kids in worship, walk with kids that have no dad or mom, adopt a child, sponsor a child… the list goes on and on, in every area you can imagine… no one can do it the way YOU can do it, but it takes practice and a willingness to experiment a little bit. Try out new “exercise” routines.

Here’s the question to ponder today. “How can I make the best use of what God has given me?” Think about it and be encouraged… you can be a powerful agent of change by simply using what God gave you…

God designed you with no other duplicates. Only you can be the person that you were designed to be and make the unique contribution that only you can make… if you don’t make it, it won’t be made.

In the last posting we looked at the first two letters of the word SHAPE.

Spiritual Gifts and Heart. Now we will look at the letter A…. This stands for your Abilities.

Your abilities are the natural talents that you were born with and all of our abilities come from God. We may have used these talents to do get ahead in school, communicate effectively, love animals, get a job and earn a living or learn a trade, be artistic or write well.. the list goes on… but here’s an interesting fact. Studies have shown that the average person has over 500-700 different skills and abilities. Many of them just lie dormant until we find them..or allow them to be recognized.

Our brains can handle over 15,000 decisions a second, our noses can smell over 10,000 different odors, we can taste minute amounts of a specific ingredient, and we can feel and touch things that are 1/25,000 of an inch thick… it’s simply amazing.. and many times we limit ourselves and think that we have nothing to offer… this couldn’t be further from the truth… we have tremendous abilities and gifts to offer!

Many times we “secularize” these abilities and say that they are not “spiritual,” however every ability can be used for God’s glory. What we are able to do, God wants us to do. If you can’t carry a tune, God won’t want you to be the lead singer, however the ability that you do have, you can use. Just look at what you can do…and enjoy doing…and that would be a great clue.

Another area that we can serve God with is our personality. Your unique God given personality is yours and yours alone. Maybe you don’t like parts of it…maybe you do… the simple fact is that your personality is a gift and uniquely yours. Nobody else can be YOU…

God made some of us extroverts, some introverts. Some like action and variety, some like it quiet and routine. Some people tend to be very thoughtful and analytical, some emotional and “feelers.” Some work better alone, others work better in a team. “God works through different people in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves his purpose through them all.” I Cor. 12:6  God uses all types of personalities and there is no right or wrong type…it’s all His type..

Our different personalities all reflect the different hues, shades and colors of God’s creation. Thank God you have the exact personality you have. It’s now time to learn how to use it for His purpose.

The last letter of our acronym is the letter E. This is for your Experiences. You are shaped by what you have experienced and what you will experience. Some of the past may have been challenging, some delightful, but all of it has shaped who you are today.

What many of us do not realize is that it’s painful experiences that most shape us. Who is best equipped to share and empathize with a person who has a child born with autism or Down syndrome, but a person or family who has had to deal with it. Who can share the pain of divorce and help someone through the other side to healing better than someone who has had to experience that pain? What about the person who has a family member dying? Could it be those of us who have been through it, understand it? The list can go on and on… the point here is that our learning experiences are ones that can be used to comfort and bring love to the hurting, lost and dying.  “He comforts us in all of our troubles so tha twe can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” II Cor. 1:4

Can we even get our minds around how God intentionally allows us to go through painful experiences to equip and prepare us to minister to others? For God to use them, they must not be rehearsed in our minds with resentment and regret. They can be openly shared so God can show others that, well, first of all, we are human… and second if we are open and share these experiences, God will be able to use them. People are always encouraged when we share that God took us through a similar experience and from our weakness were made stronger.

This is how God has “shaped” us. He gives us spiritual gifts, though an open heart, with unique abilities, personalties,  and life experience.  You are most effective when you recognize these areas, appreciate and rejoice in them. God will use all of you for his glory…

God created every person with a unique “shape” for serving God. There is no one else with your unique design and given your specific gifts. You are special to God, and a gift to the rest of us…

We spend our lives looking for where we belong, and what our purpose is and we sometimes miss the fact that God planned for us and shaped us for something. We are his “workmanship, created for good works in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:10. The word “workmanship” comes from the same Greek word word translated “poem” We are a handcrafted poem of God’s design, created as a work of art. Have you ever thought of yourself this way? As God’s work of art…beautifully crafted with an expert design, a created “one of a kind” person. Wow… now that is a great way to build a little “self esteem” isn’t it? But that’s not all, he’s not finished yet…

God doesn’t waste those beautifully handcrafted gifts he has put inside of you. You were “shaped” to fit a special place in His Kingdom. Like a master artist who says, ” I see this sculpture being placed here…. for all to see..” You are shaped to serve God.

In our reading Rick Warren uses the word SHAPE as an acronym.

Spiritual Gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience

We are learning to see and “unwrap” our spiritual gifts. Every believer is given gifts that are special God-empowered abilities. These are things that you cannot earn or somehow manufacture. They are imprinted on your DNA as a child of God and intended to be used for God’s glory and purpose. You do not get to choose what gifts you have. They are distributed as the Holy Spirit desires. No one person has all the gifts and God planned it this way so we would need each other. When we used the gifts God gives us we all benefit. If you don’t use the gift, then, in reality, you are cheating us!

We learn about our gifts by listening to our heart. Our heart is that bundle of desires, passions, emotions, hopes, ambitions , dreams and affections that we have. The heart is the real part of you, and what you really are, not what other people think of you.. Many times we get the voice of our heart silenced by criticism, doubt, fear and “unfair” things that happen to us that cause us much pain. We struggle to listen to our heart and what really motivates us, what passions we have, what “turns us on” in regards to things we would love to do and things we could really get excited about.

The fact is our heart is the place God speaks to us, and has placed special gifts that have been there for some time… think about it… when you were little, what types of interests were really strong in your life.. do you even remember them? Those came from God. Maybe we get older, more beat up in the world and learn to be satisfied with “second best” because our dreams feel so far away and we think we cannot even begin to achieve them now. Here’s the good news though..God wants to awaken that sleeping giant of a gift and let you go to work using it!

We will look at what the letters A – P – E represent in tomorrow’s reading.

Be encouraged though.. don’t waste your life doing things that you don’t like to do and do not use the gifts God has given to you to use. It’s a waste of time and energy. We can find the spiritual gifts that maybe have been dormant and learn to listen to our hearts. God has put it in you and it’s never too late!

Our purpose is not just to take up resources to consume them on ourselves – to eat, breathe and take up space. We are meant to make a contribution with our lives and make a difference. Much of the information we take in today gives us a “consumer” mentality, and it reinforces how to “get” the most of of life, but that is not how God made you. He designed you to add to others and give of yourself. It’s called service.

You were created to serve God. “It is God himself that made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives helping others.” Ephesians 2:10 (LB)

“Before I made you in your mothers womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.” Jer. 1:5

Isn’t it an amazing fact that you are chosen? It happened before you were born and God has a special purpose and work for you that is going to be a great blessing to others?

He saved us to serve others. In God’s Kingdom, you have a purpose, a place and a role to fulfill. This gives your life great significance and meaning. Whenever you serve someone else, you are actually serving God! We don’t serve each other out of a sense of duty, guilt or even fear, but out of a deep gratitude for what he has done for us. Our past is forgiven, our present has meaning and our future is secured. What a wonderful blessed place to be able to lay down our lives for one another, and in reality, laying them down for the King of kings.

If I have no genuine love for others, and no desire to serve others, only an obsession with having my own needs met, then I need to question whether or not I have truly been saved and know Jesus and he is in my life. Think about it…. if our nature is Chirstlike, and he is living His life through us, then we should find joy and a passion in serving each other. It should come as naturally as breathing.

When we responded to God’s call on our lives and gave our hearts to him, Jesus gives us “new ears to hear with, new eyes to see with, new hands to help with and a new heart to love with..” It’s a work of grace inside of us changing us to help each other. Your service is desperately needed.

At The Highlands Christian Fellowship there are over 1,700 brothers and sisters that have given their hearts to Christ since the new campus has been opened. These new believers need us to serve them, mentor them and show them the love of Christ in order for them to grow. What can you do to help out? You have a vital role to play in the process of their growth, and in doing so you grow.. it can be a very eye opening thing to consider that there are people waiting for you to take your place in the body of Christ so the whole church can be built up into a strong and mighty army. Knowing that you are significant in this, is important to know isn’t it?

The fact is that this is not some optional “when I feel like getting around to it” issue. We can dance around the issue giving encouragement to each other, but at the end of the day….it’s a commandment, not a suggestion.

God shows us in nature what happens when fresh water flows in from a beautiful stream, and makes a lake. A big lake that has water flowing into it and then out the other side, is a place where life grows abundantly, teeming with aquatic life and a place of provision. On the other hand… water that comes in and doesn’t flow out becomes a stagnant pond, and like the Dead Sea, it cannot sustain life. So it is with us… we cannot keep taking in, and not give out.

Ever wonder why you may be feeling stagnant and like your not growing? Consider how much you are serving and giving out of the life that God has put in you. It’s really not an option. You are really only fully alive when you are serving others! If you are not serving, you are just existing… not really fun now is it?

The fact is that we are all giving our lives for something. Career, hobby, sport or wealth, but none of these things have a lasting eternal significance. It’s through serving we find significance and purpose. It’s the very gift in you that God put there from the beginning. You have felt it. You know it. You have it in your heart. It needs to be released to the rest of us through service and your care for us that will help us be who we are.

Rise to the call my brother and sister. Accept your assignment and we can discover who we are together as Christ’s body here on the earth. Don’t let anything hold you back…