Monday, November 30, 2009

Imperfect Christians, part two

Posted by Terry McNichols

John Fischer's piece, quoted by Leona in last Friday's post, on the imperfection of Christians, reminded me of something from a very long time ago.  I was asked to be a leader in a women's Bible study at my church and I was feeling terribly inadequate and unworthy of the task at hand.  We had a speaker, whose name I don't recall, who came to give us our "pep talk" for beginning the year.  She said something that has stuck with me for my entire adult life.  She stated that all we needed to do to serve God was to be "willing, foolish and weak."  And she had the Scripture to back up her promises.

I have remembered this advice at many forks in my life road, when I have felt inadequate and unworthy.  "Oh, yes, I remember.  All I have to be is willing, foolish and weak.  I can do THAT!"  And God has used, and continues to use, my areas of weakness and brokenness to impact my relationships. 

And here are the Scriptures to back up my beliefs:  I Corinthians 1:27-28:  "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are." 

I Samuel 16:7:  "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him.  The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

And Jeremiah 29:11-13:  "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

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