Daily Devotionals
november 5, 2021
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 1:6-8
It is easy to back away from a calling because of the potential for embarrassment, shame, or judgment, as if somewhere along the way our failings and pretense will be revealed on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. We spend a lot of time and energy avoiding those set-ups, don’t we? Years ago I was invited to go on a mission trip to Syria. “No way,” I thought. “I am most certainly NOT going overseas to the Middle East. I don’t know the language. I don’t know the customs. What could I possibly bring to the table?” Hmmm. . . Apparently I thought that a mission trip was about MY skills and MY contributions rather than the empowering movement of God’s Spirit. But I went anyway, in humility, because I felt called into a relationship with the global church. That trip was a defining moment in my life. I have watched people in our congregation fold their hands in front of themselves as we sing hymns in worship, refusing to lend their voices out of some false notion that they have no skills to offer in that scenario. I watch them visibly shrink back from a communal act of discipleship because of self-doubt and a lack of experience that could label them as “not good enough” to make such an offering. But an offering to God is not about you or me. It’s about the God we love, the God we adore, the God we worship above all else—the God who made us to be participants with Him in His kingdom. He is the One who makes us ready, He is the One who gives us what we need to serve Him and to be in community with those He loves. He will deliver us from our mythical fears of “not good enough.” He is the One doing the perfect work in us.
For Reflection
Are you afraid of a task today because you feel inadequate?
Do you avoid embarking on a new set of skills until you are absolutely sure of success?
Prayer
Gracious God, yes, I do feel inadequate today. Yes, I feel unprepared to be courageous and to step into uncharted territory. Yes, there are times I don’t know what to do and think I’m the wrong person for this moment. But if You choose me, then help me to rely on Your strength, Your confidence, Your fully-formed love in those moments before me. In Christ’s mighty name, Amen.
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