If anyone had the chance of a lifetime to flaunt his connections and “name-drop,” it was James, the half-brother of Jesus. He had the credentials of growing up with Jesus as his brother. Yet, in introducing his letter, he simply referred to himself as “a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”16 The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.
The closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.
Servants think of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation. They enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing ministry. They “serve the LORD with gladness.”17 Why do they serve with gladness? Because they love the Lord, they’re grateful for his grace, they know serving is the highest use of life, and they know God has promised a reward. Jesus promised, “The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.”18 Paul said, “He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians.”19
Imagine what could happen if just 10 percent of all Christians in the world got serious about their role as real servants. Imagine all the good that could be done. Are you willing to be one of those people? It doesn’t matter what your age is, God will use you if you will begin to act and think like a servant. Albert Schweitzer said, “The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.”
DAY THIRTY-FOUR
THINKING ABOUT MY PURPOSE
Point to Ponder: To be a servant I must think like a servant.
Verse to Remember: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 (NIV)
Question to Consider: Am I usually more concerned about being served or finding ways to serve others?
35
God’s Power in Your Weakness
We are weak…yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you.
2 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)
I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.
2 Corinthians 12:9a (LB)
God loves to use weak people.
Everyone has weaknesses. In fact, you have a bundle of flaws and imperfections: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. You may also have uncontrollable circumstances that weaken you, such as financial or relational limitations. The more important issue is what you do with these. Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide them, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way he desires.
God has a different perspective on your weaknesses. He says, “My thoughts and my ways are higher than yours,”1 so he often acts in ways that are the exact opposite of what we expect. We think that God only wants to use our strengths, but he also wants to use our weaknesses for his glory.
The Bible says, “God purposely chose…what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful.”2 Your weaknesses are not an accident. God deliberately allowed them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you.
God has never been impressed with strength or self-sufficiency. In fact, he is drawn to people who are weak and admit it. Jesus regarded this recognition of our need as being “poor in spirit.” It’s the number one attitude he blesses.3
The Bible is filled with examples of how God loves to use imperfect, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their weaknesses. If God only used perfect people, nothing would ever get done, because none of us is flawless. That God uses imperfect people is encouraging news for all of us.
A weakness, or “thorn” as Paul called it,4 is not a sin or a vice or a character defect that you can change, such as overeating or impatience. A weakness is any limitation that you inherited or have no power to change. It may be a physical limitation, like a handicap, a chronic illness, naturally low energy, or a disability. It may be an emotional limitation, such as a trauma scar, a hurtful memory, a personality quirk, or a hereditary disposition. Or it may be a talent or intellectual limitation. We’re not all super bright or talented.
If God only used perfect people, nothing would ever get done.
When you think of the limitation in your life, you may be tempted to conclude, “God could never use me.” But God is never limited by our limitations. In fact, he enjoys putting his great power into ordinary containers. The Bible says, “We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us.”5 Like common pottery, we are fragile and flawed and break easily. But God will use us if we allow him to work through our weaknesses. For that to happen, we must follow the model of Paul.
Admit your weaknesses. Own up to your imperfections. Stop pretending to have it all together, and be honest about yourself. Instead of living in denial or making excuses, take the time to identify your personal weaknesses. You might make a list of them.