In the morning I prayed, “God, here I am. I give myself completely to You today to use as You see fit. Let my words to others be Your words, that they would receive the message that You have for them. Help me to stay out of the way and let You work Your good for others.” And then I went about my day. I went to work and people came in and out of my office for various reasons. Small conversations happened here and there. I wasn’t so aware whether God was working any good for them. But sometimes I just don’t see it.
Then it happened. There was a young woman sitting across the room outside my office and I could see her through my office door. I felt the urge to go to her. So I did. I knew her by name and have had a few conversations with her in the past, so she is not a stranger to me. I asked her how she was doing and there was hesitation in answering. I could tell she was feeling down and gave her space by showing interest but not pushing. As she talked about what was happening in her life, I responded here and there and began to sense that God had things to say to her and was working His good for her. I could relate to her pain and spoke of how God had used hard times in my past to work His good in me. I told her how God truly is good and He truly has our best interest at heart. He does not let anything happen to us that He cannot use for our good. It’s hard – sometimes it is so very hard, but God is good. And we will become vessels of His love when we learn to trust Him and allow Him to do His work in us. Tears ran down her face as we talked. Tears formed in my eyes and my voice too. Then she said, “My pastor is planning to do a teaching on forgiving God. I didn’t think I needed it because I didn’t need to forgive God for anything. But after this conversation, I see that I do need it. Thank you.” And it hit me. God was using me to work His good. He was preparing this young woman to receive words and learn how to trust Him to work His good in her life.
As I was reading I Corinthians this morning, I noticed something I had previously glossed over many times. “In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.” It is tucked in this passage: “I always thank my God for you because of God’s grace given to you in Christ Jesus, that by Him you were enriched in everything—in all speech and all knowledge. In this way, the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so that you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 1:4-7 HCSB.
Most of our churches are a pretty big mess – just like the Corinthian church was. Many people go through the motions each week of sitting in a church service, sometimes listening, sometimes distracted by thoughts or commotion around them, but mostly observing with little participation. And I wonder what a church service would be like if people couldn’t wait to get there and share what God has been doing in their lives throughout the past several days. We think of our testimony as the day we said yes to Christ and then we are saved and that is the end of our story. But what of the testimony of this week? Of yesterday? Of today? Does God just save us so we can go on doing the same things in the same frame of mind we did before we were saved?
In a recent email devotional from Walk Thru the Bible, I read, “When we become Christians, we exchange our citizenship on earth for citizenship in heaven. Therefore, we live according to the value system in heaven, not the value system on earth. On earth we look out for ourselves, and we satisfy our own wants and desires. In heaven we look out for the welfare of others.” And I wonder, am I holding on to a dual citizenship. We are saved by God’s grace, but are we fully living according to the value system of heaven or are we holding on to the value system of earth. If we are holding onto the value system of this earth, we do not have an active testimony of what God is doing daily in our lives.
It is this daily testimony of God working in us and through us that speaks into the lives of others with encouragement, grace, comfort, and healing which then gives them a testimony to speak into the lives of others. I envision a church full of people who have a daily testimony of God working in them, coming together and sharing with joy all that God is doing. Our churches should not be a place where we are asking if God exists. Indeed it should be obvious that He is alive and well as we encourage each other through our daily testimony of His grace at work in us and through us.
Thank you, Father, that You do not leave us here to fend for ourselves but that You are always available if we invite Your presence in our daily lives. Today, I present myself as a living sacrifice to You to do with as You will – to work Your good in me and in those You bring into my life. And to You I give all the honor and glory which belongs to You for what You have done and are doing in my life. I thank You and praise You. In the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.
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