You’ve got what it takes!

I’d like to say that I am very disciplined. But that would be the lie of the century! I rarely follow guidelines or have a routine, and I don’t always do the things I should, only when I feel like (which is not often). 

So when I got the conviction to start this blog, I had to laugh. Me, start a blog with regular articles? You’ve got to be kidding me! Me who could barely maintain a diary, me who was always late for any event (school, church, socials, etc), me who hardly followed my personal study timetable? No thanks, I’ll pass.

But I have come to understand that God has a very funny way of doing His things. He rarely chooses the Perfect, but perfects the Chosen.

When He called Gideon in Judges 6:11-24, He referred to him as “Mighty man of Valour!” But Gideon was clearly not that. For starters, he was so terrified of the Midianites (the enemies of Israel) that he was threshing wheat in a winepress! Talk about epic fear. Secondly his clan was the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh and as if that wasn’t enough, he was the least in his father’s house. In all ramifications, he was not a man of valour. 

Had the Lord gotten it wrong?

The Bible shows us over and over, that when God looks at a man, He doesn’t look at what he is currently but what he could become. So when God looked at Gideon, He saw his potential as a man of valour. This later proved to be true, as God used Gideon to save the Israelites from all their enemies.

The same thing happened to Moses, a frightened ex-murderer on the run from Egypt. For forty years he lived in the wilderness, too scared to go back. But then God called him to go back, not just to sneak in, but to confront Pharaoh. To confront the person he feared most, to do the impossible. We all know how the story ended. Moses went, not in his own strength, but trusting and leaning on God, he eventually led the Israelites out of Egypt.

When God calls us, He rarely does so because we are ‘qualified’, He calls

us when we are incapable, so that His strength may be made known in our weaknesses and that all the glory will be His. There is no way of taking praise for what you know is not yours. 

Why do you think the likes of Noah, Moses, David and other great men and women of God were humble? They knew their greatness came from relying on Him, not on any strength they had.

Maintaining this blog has been the same way for me. I never knew I could write, or even write as often as I do (yes I know I don’t write as often as I should, but hey, I’m a work in progress, remember :-)). 

But as I agreed to listen to God’s prompting even though I felt terrified, He has continued to amaze me. I look at the articles I write and I wonder where this knowledge came from. It’s definitely God, I am all too aware of my weaknesses. I know there are still other areas that need to be dealt with in my life, but I thank God I am not where I used to be!

Perhaps you are facing the prospects of a new opportunity/challenge, and you are wondering how you will cope. Listen you’ve got it in you! God wouldn’t give you that opportunity, dream, or challenge if you didn’t have the potential to do an excellent job. Just don’t go off in your own strength. Keep your eyes fixed on Him daily, and He won’t disappoint you. He will give you grace and strength to do the impossible.

If He could do if for others (plus me) you are not too difficult for Him. Just trust Him and step out of the boat, He won’t let you sink.

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