Pastor Dan did an object lesson in church yesterday that really spoke to me. He was talking about “barriers” between people and God. As he was speaking my mind immediately began to race with all the people in my life that I love so much who do not know God. I was thinking of different barriers and reasons why they choose to reject the truth and I felt this overwhelming burden...like they were never going to “get it.”
My thoughts were interrupted by Dan pulling a sheet off of a table with bricks on it. He took a hammer and began hammering away at the brick talking about how we often, in our own strength, try to be the force behind the hammer...we don’t even make a dent in the lives of those around us. But when we let God be the force, and we simply just allow ourselves to be the tool—God works and works at the seemingly indestructible barrier and shatters all excuses people have to reject Him.
As I examine my life and the relationships I am in I see how often I try to be the one who “changes” the lives of those around me. I know full well that there is nothing extra special about me that has the power to do this, but for some reason (pride) I approach people trying to be the driving force to point them in the right direction, instead of just allowing God’s love to spill out of my life and consume all those around me.
I have been praying and thinking a lot about what living in Tanzania is going to be like next year and as I have done that I have gotten a little overwhelmed...the need is so huge, what can just one person do? But yesterday I was reminded (again) that it isn’t about what I can do or what I can say...I just need to follow the path that God has called me to and stay so close to God that His love becomes who I am and in doing that lives will be touched and changed.
I want to be a vessel. Just something plain and ordinary that God can pour out his love through so that the hurting, hopeless, and lost people of this world can find Him. When I stop worrying about if I am saying the right words to convince someone or doing the right thing to show someone, then I am free to just love them with no restrictions and trust and believe that God is constantly pursuing their hearts and will use me and other people in their lives to show them who He really is.
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2 comments:
I've been kind of thinking the same way lately. I keep trying to change people's beliefs on my own...and yeah, I haven't had much success. Sometimes I think I'm too pushy, and I just end up arguing...which gets us no where. Ask your dad how hard of a time I have with leaving the results of my witnessing to God; it's definitely one of the areas I need to work on.
This is why I love this definition of successful withnessing: "Simply sharing Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God."
If we truely get the simplicity of this statement, we can apply it to everything we do for Him, not just witnessing. That is why we must ask Him daily to fill us with His Holy Spirit, so He is doing the internal work and let go of the results.
We cannot possibly make people "get it". We don't know their hearts, minds, and spirits. If we simply ask for His Spirit, ask for opportunities, and then obey we are the vessel.
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