“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7
Jesus has no physical presence on earth except for us, His people made from the clay of the earth.
This is both an unspeakable privilege and an awesome responsibility.
While we may welcome the privilege of being the hands, feet, and voices of Jesus in this world, we may fear the responsibility, thinking we are not adequate for the task.
But we do not need to fear, because God has promised us that His Holy Spirit will work through us to make Jesus Christ known to others. Our task is to pray, prepare our hearts and thoughts, show up, and empty ourselves to make room for the Spirit to flow through us. The more we yield our hearts to Him, the freer access He has to speak to our audience, because greater is He who is in us than we who speak His word!
At one of our training seminars for equipping nursing home missionaries, a speaker gave a message that challenged us. What would it be like, she said, if you got up Sunday morning, dressed and prepared, then drove to church, sat in your usual spot, waited for the minister to start the service and waited, and waited, and waited and the minister never showed up? How might you feel?
She reminded us of Winston Churchill’s famous speech, only 10 words long: “Never give up. Never give up. Never. Never. Never. Never.”
She said that she, too, had a message that was only 10 words long. “Always show up! Always show up! Always! Always! Always! Always!”
So, show up, be yourself, love your audience (whether 1 or 100), and trust the all-surpassing power of the Spirit of God within you. As you abide in Jesus and in His Word, He will enable you to bear Heaven’s fruit. And you will experience the joy of being used by God to bring life to many! May God bless your steps of faith!
By Bill Goodrich
Used by Permission
Further Reading
• In Step with God – by Charles Stanley
• Be a Donkey for Jesus – by Mike Woodard
• Secret Power – by Roy Lessin