God uses individuals
A couple of Sundays back we looked again at what it means to be a Witness for Jesus. Of course we know that Jesus says “You will be my witnesses“ (Acts 1:9). The interesting thing is that there is no exclusion or exception clause in that. The reality, as I mentioned that Don Posterski says in his book ‘Why am I afraid to tell you I’m a Christian‘, is that we are all signposts … but we either point to Jesus or away from Him.
But you may feel ‘what can God possibly use me for?’. Maybe you feel so weak, afraid or unable. I found the following passage in Roger Carswell’s book entitled ‘And some Evangelists’. I hope you find it helpful:
“Fashionable new ideas about the way to do God’s work in the current culture burst on to the Christian scene at frequent intervals. Seminars and conferences are taken on their rounds and they have their influence. A work which has been particularly blessed of the Lord becomes a prototype for others. Some of these make a valid contribution to the task, though one cannot franchise the work of God.
God’s underlying method, however, has always been to take individuals and use them. God chose Joseph to deliver Egypt and His people from starvation; Moses to lead them out of slavery; Joshua to lead them into the promised land; the judges were raised up personally by God, as were the prophets. The list of such characters in Scripture is long and impressive, but why did God choose these people?
God looks for individuals to “stand in the gap” (Ezek 22:30). All God’s gracious dealings prepared them for their distinctive roles, nevertheless God is looking for qualities which He can use. David is an obvious example here. He is marked out as an individual who had both integrity and skill and is described as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). Undoubtedly, God blesses particular organisations and churches, but His method is to take, fill and use individuals committed to Him.
Such individuals are not mavericks, speaking whatever thoughts they dream up. Jeremiah 23:9-40 clearly exposes such people. But the person who seeks to honour the Lord will always proclaim the word of God. God uses people who proclaim the Word, which God is committed to use.”
Roger Carswell then goes through a list of ordinary people, raised up by God, and used by Him throughout the Bible. Many were hardly mentioned, even in the Bible, or are unnamed, but God remembers them and lifts them up as an example in Heb 11:32-29.
God isn’t looking for experts, isn’t looking for the trained, isn’t looking for the eloquent or the skilled, isn’t looking for the great or the powerful. His plan is to use ordinary Christians … people like you and me, people who simply, willingly, go each day in obedience to live and speak for Him, to be His witnesses. The key is simply this … it’s not in your power but in His. So, are you the individual Jesus is going to use?