As fall hits and the kids are back in school, it has been the perfect time for us to reflect on what the new season could bring for us as a family. It is the time of year when we start to fill our calendars with fall and winter activities for the kids and for ourselves. What sports are the kids going to play? What extracurricular activities are we going to participate in? What ministries are we going to be involved in to build up the body of Christ?
This year due to different circumstances, Carl and I felt led to start co-leading a Dave Ramsey financial Bible study with a great Christian couple from our church. At the same time, I had been praying hard over my blog. I also stand on the precipice of doing something truly exciting in the realm of women’s ministry with a couple of wonderful Christian women. The opportunities are exciting but at the same time can seem quite daunting. How could I ever be good enough or smart enough or wise enough to teach anyone anything? I take what He has called me to do very seriously.
God is faithful however. As I prayed and shared my heart to Him, He literally led me to read this just moments later after my prayer in the book Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. I have read it over and over again in the days which have followed.
The truth is that I am not perfect and neither are you. If everyone who has ever done anything to make Christ known or serve others for Christ needed to be perfect before they did it, then nothing would have ever been done. That is why I love Paul. Jesus picked the one person who had arguably sinned against Him the most. I believe one of the reasons is so we today can look at Paul and see that Jesus can still use us to do something great no matter where we have come from or what we have done. Paul was a killer of Christians, but Christ used him to be one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament. He was a Christian who still struggled with sin, but was washed white as snow as we are by the blood of Christ.
I think we error as Christians by thinking we need to be perfect or believing the lie that maybe someday we will be worthy to lead a Bible study or mentor someone. For sure, we need to make sure we are mature enough in Christ to not lead others astray by false teachings, but I do feel that insecurity holds so many back from building up the body of Christ. If you are called to it, all you need to do is rely on Him and He will equip you for every good work (Hebrews 13:21, 2 Timothy 3:17).
This fall and winter I would like to challenge you to seek and find what path God might have for you to set your feet to walk down for His glory. He wants to do so much! I will leave you with this quote from the book Experiencing God by Blackaby & King which says, “Don’t let any previous failure or disappointment stop you from confidently moving forward with God. No matter where we are, why would any of us ever become satisfied with the current status of our walk with God when there is so much He wants to do in and through our lives?” So, let’s get to work and let Him.
Thank you for this post Andrea. For too long I held back believing I wasn't ______ enough to lead a Bible study or mentor someone. But God put me in a position that gave me the courage to step up and do it. Now I'm about to embark on leading a 2nd Bible study group in our home, as well as mentoring two women in our church body. He is faithful, so I can be too.
Thanks, Marla for your comment. It is so common, and I hear so many women who don't feel they are worthy including myself at times. It is something we all need to hear.