“How sad if some of us think God looks at us and sees an overdue expiration date.”

A thought by Kyle Idleman, (2015-10-01) from his book, The End of Me: Where Real Life in the Upside-Down Ways of Jesus Begins (Kindle Location 1792). David C. Cook. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title of the book to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

I am closer to my 69^th birthday than my 68^th. That means I am closer to my expiration date of my earthly life than my entrance date but I’m not done yet. Yes there are some activities that I no longer do but I’m still at it. You’re reading this blog that I’m writing aren’t you? God is not done using me yet and he’s not done with you yet no matter what you have done or what reason you are using r what others think.

Kyle says, “When I talk to people about serving God, one of the saddest responses I hear is, ‘God doesn’t want me. Not after what I’ve done.’ They assume God is just like a lot of people they know. He writes us off. He holds grudges. We’ll never meet his standards. Our mistakes are many, our failures are well known, and our reputation is shot.”

He goes on, “What about Moses? He had been raised like a prince, the world at his feet. But he lost his temper, killed a soldier, and fled into exile in the badlands of Egypt. From prince of Egypt to leader of the pack of sheep, just like that. Decades passed. He married and moved on. So did God, he figured. Then he saw something bright— a bush in flames, and with it a voice, commissioning him. I still choose you.”

Kyle then says, “People love reminding others of their plight. Perhaps they feel better about their own failures if they can make others feel bad about theirs. They keep score, and they give more updates than ESPN. It’s going to happen. The problem is that we listen to them. We take them to heart.” And it holds us back from what we have God can do in and through us.

Kyle says, “The biggest reason you can’t get it done is the precise reason he can— maybe the precise setting he wants to use. What is it for you? A limitation? A memory? An age? A fear? Doesn’t matter. File away your disqualifications. Surrender them. Renounce them (over and over again if you have to). Get to the end of yourself and you’ll find you are in the right place to be used significantly by God.”

Don’t you think today would be a great day to start?

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