What are you afraid of?

As I was looking through some old report cards I found from middle and high school, I couldn’t help but laugh at what I saw. Some of the grades actually surprised me because they were higher than I remembered; but the effort portion and the comments were just hilarious. My poor Mom spent so much time listening to my teachers tell her that I was smart, I just didn’t apply myself. My principal got to the point that he even knew her work schedule, which was always fun, sorry Mom and Mr. Schreiber. 

As I was wrestling with this devotional that I’m writing now, I wondered what my younger self would think about me. As a kid I was always kind of awkward, really loud, and liked to talk a lot, shocking I know. I guess some things never change and one of those for me has still been applying myself. See the reason I never tried very hard was because I was always so afraid of the possibility that I wouldn’t do well and I would end up looking stupid. That nagging feeling has been my constant companion through my whole life and It has stunted me in so many ways even as a believer because sometimes I’m afraid that I won’t live up to whatever calling or gifting that God has given me, so I just don’t try. If this describes you also, I want to encourage you that the Bible addresses this so lets take a look at Gods word. 

In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verses 26-31, we see this: For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing, you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Wow, I don’t know about you, but this just blows me away. You and I were chosen by God because He wanted us. In fact, He wanted us, not because we’re talented or are super smart, but He wanted us because of what we can’t do. That’s right, God uses every single thing in our lives, even our worst inabilities, all of it for His glory. He does this because God wants us to see that our dependence to do anything is solely on Him and not our own abilities. The fact that there are so many things that we can’t do is perfect because the more we depend on Him, the more that we will accomplish and possibly even be be able to do things that we could have only ever dreamed of. 

Now, I’m not saying that anyone should just sit back, be lazy, and watch God do a miracle. I’m also not saying that if you have talents and are super smart, that God can’t use you; He gave you those talents and smarts. What I am saying is that all of us should be ready to live out our lives for His glory using whatever He has allowed into our lives, especially when it looks impossible. Then, when you are afraid that you might look stupid, just remember He chose you for the moment you’re in, and He is going to do what only He can as you rely on Him.

“The Lord's wisdom is seen in arranging the smallest events so as to produce great results. Everything, the most minute...as well as the most magnificent, is ordered by the Lord.” - Charles Spurgeon

Today, if you don’t know Jesus, don’t fear surrender to Him. In the same first chapter of 1 Corinthians we see in verse 18: For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Turn to Him today and know the One who died for you.