A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Dare to Drop the Pose (p. 150). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
I’m sure there is a time that all of us parents have felt that. Being a dad is a very difficult task, isn’t it?
Craig says, “As hard as I’ve tried, even today I haven’t shaken those feelings.”
He goes on, “Years ago, when I was a timid, young pastor starting our church, a good friend, Dennis, told me something I’ll never forget. After one of my days of particularly deep insecurity, Dennis sensed my struggle and boldly said, ‘God doesn’t choose the prepared. He prepares the chosen.’
“I love that. You don’t have to be ready for God to use you. In fact, you might never feel ready. When God calls you, He’ll prepare you with on-the-job training. With each step, He’ll lead you. If you are unsure of yourself, you’re in great company, and you’re at the top of God’s ‘Potential Disciples’ list.”
He says, “God will use you in spite of your insecurities. And He’ll often use you where you’re most insecure.”
Craig then gets personal, “In what life skill do you feel weakest? Public speaking? Leading? Praying? Witnessing? Teaching? Forgiving? Parenting? God’s grace is all you need. His power is made perfect in your weakness. (See 2 Corinthians 12:9.)”
He then says, “I’ve been teaching for years, and I’m still not a great Bible teacher. I never will be. I’m not that knowledgeable. I struggle with Greek. I’m still weak on biblical history. But I simply bring what I can. God brings the rest, and lives are changed.
“One of my favorite aspects of preaching is what I call ‘the God factor.’ Regularly, people tell me that when I said ‘such-n-such,’ it changed their lives. The funny thing is, I didn’t actually use the words they quote. God custom-designed a message for them. He took my weak words and personalized them by His Spirit. People heard what God was saying, not what I was saying.
“And it works.
“So, do you feel unsure of yourself? Great. God can work more easily with insecurities than with pride. God is ready to use you. And, believe it or not, you’re ready for His use.”
Today is my oldest granddaughter’s birthday. I’m sure glad I didn’t decide that I didn’t have what it took to be a dad. God is so good at taking our insecurities and using them. So, would you not runaway but would you let God grow and use you? Would you?
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