You're Not Alone
Have you ever felt like a failure? Like you are not good enough?
Like your life is so messed up that there is no way God could use you?
Don't worry, youre not alone. Remember that the Bible tells us that
"...all have sinned and fall short of the golry of God." (Rom 3:23)
And truely All means ALL.
You know that person that you look at and think "Man, they really have it all together."
They're just as messed up as you are. Maybe not in the same way, maybe not at the same
moment. But everyone, from time to time, is just as messed up.
Think about this?
Jonah: Ran from God when God told him what he needed to do. Jonah literally told God "NO," he wasn't going to Nineveh
David: Killed Goliath...Great king...Wrote the Psalms...David had a dude put in a position to be killed because he wanted the man's wife.
Rahab: was a prostitute
The Woman at the Well: She had issues
Moses: Stuttered and NEVER felt like he was good enough.
Peter: Denied Christ 3 times. Remember that Jesus even TOLD Peter that would do it, and Peter said there was no way.
Paul: Let's not forget Paul. Paul who wrote things like "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15.) AND "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Rom 7:15.) Paul made a career of persecuting Christians.
And yet God used ALL of these people
In fact, from what I can tell, there was really only 1 person in the bible that it seems like God couldn't use.
Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? He asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments.
Ruler: "Which ones"
Jesus: "All of them."
Ruler: "I already do that."
Jesus: "Go, sell all you have and follow me."
When he heard this, the man went away sad, because he had so much. (from Matt 19: 16-26)
So what is all of this telling us?
I believe it is a reminder that noone is beyond the love of God...If they are willing.
So what does that mean?
Remember the story of Abraham? Abraham finally had a son (God's promise of children to Abraham and Sarah,) and then, after the birth of a son, God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. You have to know that Abraham was certainly questioning God at this point. Why would God, who promised these two really old people children, tell them to sacrifice that child?
Was it the sacrifice God wanted, or the obedience?
Jonah told God that he didn't think God's plan (to go to Nineveh) was a good plan...ever done that? I know I have. so God had Jonah swallowed by a fish (does it really matter what kind of fish) and barfed up on shore.
Do we REALLY need to be humbled that much? But Jonah then became obedient.
Paul was so sure he was doing the right thing by arresting and persecuting Christians. It is amazing how being blinded by...then having your sight restored by the resurected Christ can make you rethink what you are doing.
Remember where we started. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So what did you do?
Did you lie to someone?
Did you break up a marraige? Yours or someone elses.
Did you rob a bank?
Or is it something else?
Did you tell God no?
Did you tell God you weren't good enough?
Did you decide that God's asking price was too high?
No matter what, God is waiting for us....you and me....to come back. He is waiting for us to repent, ask for forgiveness, and do what He has called us to do.
Is it really that simple? Yes and no. God will always do His part. But He is waiting for us to do ours.
God had to humble Jonah, David, Paul and the rest. He also wants to humble us...Hopefully not in such extreme ways. And once we are truely humbled, repentant, and WILLING, He has a mighty plan for us all.
The past is the past. Let go of it and hold onto God and let Him work.
Prayer:
Father, I come to you now and admit my faults. I admit that I failed You when I (Tell Him what you are asking Him to forgive you for...yes He knows, but tell him anyway.) Father, please forgive me and help me to be the man/woman You created me to be. Father, Im sorry. Father I love You and I want to serve You. Protect me and guide in Jesus' name...Amen
I would love to hear from you and know how God is using you.
jim
Jonah: Ran from God when God told him what he needed to do. Jonah literally told God "NO," he wasn't going to Nineveh
David: Killed Goliath...Great king...Wrote the Psalms...David had a dude put in a position to be killed because he wanted the man's wife.
Rahab: was a prostitute
The Woman at the Well: She had issues
Moses: Stuttered and NEVER felt like he was good enough.
Peter: Denied Christ 3 times. Remember that Jesus even TOLD Peter that would do it, and Peter said there was no way.
Paul: Let's not forget Paul. Paul who wrote things like "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief" (1 Tim 1:15.) AND "For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (Rom 7:15.) Paul made a career of persecuting Christians.
And yet God used ALL of these people
In fact, from what I can tell, there was really only 1 person in the bible that it seems like God couldn't use.
Do you remember the story of the rich young ruler? He asked Jesus what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments.
Ruler: "Which ones"
Jesus: "All of them."
Ruler: "I already do that."
Jesus: "Go, sell all you have and follow me."
When he heard this, the man went away sad, because he had so much. (from Matt 19: 16-26)
So what is all of this telling us?
I believe it is a reminder that noone is beyond the love of God...If they are willing.
So what does that mean?
Remember the story of Abraham? Abraham finally had a son (God's promise of children to Abraham and Sarah,) and then, after the birth of a son, God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. You have to know that Abraham was certainly questioning God at this point. Why would God, who promised these two really old people children, tell them to sacrifice that child?
Was it the sacrifice God wanted, or the obedience?
Jonah told God that he didn't think God's plan (to go to Nineveh) was a good plan...ever done that? I know I have. so God had Jonah swallowed by a fish (does it really matter what kind of fish) and barfed up on shore.
Do we REALLY need to be humbled that much? But Jonah then became obedient.
Paul was so sure he was doing the right thing by arresting and persecuting Christians. It is amazing how being blinded by...then having your sight restored by the resurected Christ can make you rethink what you are doing.
Remember where we started. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So what did you do?
Did you lie to someone?
Did you break up a marraige? Yours or someone elses.
Did you rob a bank?
Or is it something else?
Did you tell God no?
Did you tell God you weren't good enough?
Did you decide that God's asking price was too high?
No matter what, God is waiting for us....you and me....to come back. He is waiting for us to repent, ask for forgiveness, and do what He has called us to do.
Is it really that simple? Yes and no. God will always do His part. But He is waiting for us to do ours.
God had to humble Jonah, David, Paul and the rest. He also wants to humble us...Hopefully not in such extreme ways. And once we are truely humbled, repentant, and WILLING, He has a mighty plan for us all.
The past is the past. Let go of it and hold onto God and let Him work.
Prayer:
Father, I come to you now and admit my faults. I admit that I failed You when I (Tell Him what you are asking Him to forgive you for...yes He knows, but tell him anyway.) Father, please forgive me and help me to be the man/woman You created me to be. Father, Im sorry. Father I love You and I want to serve You. Protect me and guide in Jesus' name...Amen
I would love to hear from you and know how God is using you.
jim
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