We’ve all had moments in our lives when we said something like…”More than anything else, I want to _______.” For each of us it’s something different. I wanted to walk on to a University football team in Arkansas in 1986, but once this 140 pound dude saw that the biggest guys on the team could run as fast as him, I decided my football playing days were over. The window had closed on my opportunity to play.
If we aren’t careful we can think like that as well when it comes to our spiritual journey. Take a look at the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. In Acts 7-9, we read about a guy named Saul (who later will be renamed Paul) who is killing Christ-followers. He feels compelled to dismantle the church and erase the Name of Jesus from every mouth in Israel. But Paul has an experience with Jesus on the road to Damascus to arrest Christians and his life is changed forever. He turns into the most prominent Christian in church history.
If we listen to what our enemy thinks about us and not to what God has said about us, we can say we missed our chance to be a participant in the story of God. We can become a spectator rather than a participant. The great thing about God is no matter how young or old you are, God will use you in his story. No matter your skin color and the size of your bank account, God will use you in his story.
Sometimes we listen to those who’ve known us well. The voices tell us that we’ve ruined our reputation because of past choices so God could not possibly use us. We might say, after my abortion or divorce or addiction or issues with lust and pride, God doesn’t want to use me. But the very thing you believe is keeping you from God’s story is the very thing He will use in his story to draw others to him.
Sometimes we don’t participate because we don’t know where to start. We don’t do anything because we don’t know what to do. We see others are great speakers or terrific leaders of women. Some are great teachers or singers. We compare ourselves to others and disqualify ourselves. But we are called to use any gift or talent we have to the glory of God.
As we reflect on what we are doing in Kingdom work, I reflect on Paul. He was the ISIS of his day, killing people who loved Jesus. I think if God can use a man like Paul, He can use me in his story too. So know the widow is not closed on your usefulness. You have not done anything in your past to disqualify you from being in God’s story. You have more to offer in Kingdom work than you realize. So, get busy. It’s time to make a difference. Do something. Realize the time we’ve been given to share Jesus is really short. You can do this. He has got you. Blessings on the journey.