Unlikely Candidates

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1 ESV).

Reading Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on James, one section stopped me in my tracks:

“[Jesus] saw the potential in the lives of sinners. In Simon, He saw a rock. In Matthew, the publican, He saw a faithful disciple who would one day write one of the four gospels. The disciples were amazed to see Jesus talking with the sinful woman at the well of Sychar, but Jesus saw in her an instrument for reaping a great harvest” (ch. 5).

I started wondering what He sees in some of the people we may tend to ignore or write off. That little boy who is so disruptive in Sunday school may one day be a pastor. That girl who doesn’t want to leave her mommy’s side may become a missionary in Africa. That young man who can’t seem to stay on the right side of the law may end up ministering to ex-cons.

Thinking about the people in my own church and denomination, there are a lot of people now in leadership positions who may once have been thought “irredeemable.” And if we’re being honest, all of us are unlikely candidates for belonging to the Body of Christ. We’re all sinners (not just in the past). We’re all broken and wounded by our own actions and the actions of others. Not one of us was saved because we’re such a great catch. God was never impressed by our credentials. But by grace He chose us and made us worthy and useful for His kingdom.

“God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world,” (news flash—that’s all of us!) “even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

We didn’t get here by our own abilities or ingenuity, and we can’t even guarantee we’ll be here another day. (How many of Israel’s kings fell because their pride got the best of them?) We are dependent on God for life, breath, strength, and the very ministry He has given each of us. “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 1:7). That reality should make us grateful and humble servants.

As I look back at my own life, I would never have planned the route that brought me to where I am today, and I’m sure many other people would say the same. I give thanks for all the twists and turns, hills and valleys, bumps and bruises that God has used to put me right here right now. And I trust He’ll do the same in the future to get me wherever He can best put me to use for His glory.

“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God” (2 Corinthians 4:15).

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© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Image © Dawn Rutan. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Is God Enough?

“Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV).

I only noticed recently that this verse ties contentment to the presence of God. He will never leave us, therefore we can be content. Paul said similar things in some of his letters:

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:11-13).

The question is, are we really content with God’s strength and God’s presence with us? We have the Creator of the universe on our side, and yet if we’re honest we often want something more or different. For some people it may be career, money, or material possessions, for others it may be a particular type of relationship. We may not even know what it is we’re looking for, but we’re plagued with discontentment.

I like to read biographies of Christians from World War II. I’ve often wondered how I would fare in similar situations, though I pray I never have to find out. It has been said that those who survived the concentration camps were the ones who held onto hope in One greater than themselves. God’s presence provided strength to survive and even to be content in the midst of the worst persecution imaginable. Would we truly know that God is sufficient when we’ve lost everything else? If we think we would be content with nothing, why are we not content with the many things we do have?

I’ve been convicted by this at times. While I don’t want a lot of stuff (and I already have more than I need), I do wish I could make people change to suit my own needs and desires. There’s a fine line between “spurring one another on to love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24) and getting people to do for me what I’m unwilling to do for them. I can complain about the lack of hospitality among Christians, but do I open my own home to others? I can say we need to cultivate deeper relationships, but do I really want to know what others are dealing with in their own lives? I may say God is enough, but I would prefer “God-plus.”

I believe it is possible to work for change in the world, in the church, and in our individual lives and yet to remember that if we never get what we want God is still enough. We can seek improvements in our culture and in our homes without pinning all our hopes and dreams on them. We can be more thankful for all the blessings we have if we know that only the treasures laid up in heaven will last (Luke 12:32-34). We may not have everything we want, but in Christ we have everything we need.

“Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days” (Psalm 90:14).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Small Drops

Christian news often focuses on megachurches and crusades, and there is often talk about desiring a great revival in our land. There’s nothing wrong with those things in themselves. However, I wonder if we’re overlooking the small things that God likes to use. Jesus used a boy’s small lunch (John 6:9) and He commended the widow’s small offering (Mark 12:42). He reminded His disciples that the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed or a little leaven in the dough (Matthew 13:31-33).

Half of churches have 100 attendees or fewer, and 90% have 350 or fewer (source). Most of the work of preaching, teaching, and discipling happens on the small scale—in small churches, small groups, and one-on-one—and yet churches and denominations often seem obsessed with “bigger and better.”

Moses said “May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb” (Deuteronomy 32:2 ESV). Charles Spurgeon commented on this verse:

“Let us try to be a little useful if we cannot reach to great things. The small rain is a great blessing. Let us try to be useful in little things. Let us look after tender herbs; let us try to bring boys and girls to Jesus” (Following Christ, ch. 15).

God has let history unfold at His own pace, and we’re more than two millennia past the birth of Christ. “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:8-9). It may seem slow to us, but God is not in a hurry to bring everything to completion. He may bring a great flood of conversions or it may be a slow trickle. It is not up to us to try to orchestrate a grand finale. He simply calls us to be faithful to the task at hand.

We sometimes start to think of ourselves too highly. “I must share the gospel with one new person every week… My church must have 10% higher attendance by the end of this year… We must plant five new churches in this city in five years…” Some of us may be trying to function as if we have five talents when God has only given us one (Matthew 25:14-30). And some of us may be trying to function in roles that we just aren’t gifted for (Romans 12:3-8). None of us alone can do everything, and that’s why God placed us within the Body. If each member does their part, God will provide the harvest in His own good time.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Matthew 25:21b).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated all images are copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Marked for the Master

“I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, declares the Lord, that they might be for Me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory, but they would not listen” (Jeremiah 13:11b ESV).

The last few words of that verse are convicting. Because they didn’t listen, the Israelites were exiled from the Promised Land for many years. Though they were still God’s people, they were not bringing Him praise and glory through their actions, words, and worship. Interestingly, the New Testament authors use similar phrasing regarding who we are as Christians:

“[Christ] gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

We belong to God and we bear His name. We are meant to represent Him through purity, good works, proclaiming His Word, and glorifying Him. We are to walk in His light so that we may stand out from this dark world. But are we doing any better than Judah and Israel were back in Jeremiah’s time? Do we show ourselves to be “set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20)?

Living in the Bible belt, I know a lot of nice, moral people, but the number of people who are clearly living for the glory of God is a lot lower. People can mistakenly assume that someone who is kind and decent must be Christian. We may also believe that someone who attends church functions on a regular basis is therefore a Christian, but that may not be true either. The ESV Bible titles Romans 12:9-21 “Marks of the True Christian,” but even in that list of instructions there is little that could not be imitated by non-Christians. Consider the following verses (emphasis added):

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:14-15).

 “To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

“But whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).

Charles Spurgeon wrote in Following Christ:

“If we add to our churches by becoming worldly or by taking in people who have never been born again, or if we add to our churches by accommodating the life of the Christian to the life of the people of the world, our increase is nothing at all” (ch. 7).

I fear that there are many people sitting in church pews or listed on church rolls who have no idea what it really means to be a Christian. They may call themselves Christians, but they do not truly bear the name of Christ by living for His glory and praise. They have no desire for holiness or for the kingdom of God, but think that being a nice person is all the witness they need to give.

Let’s make sure we truly belong to Him.

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? –unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

© 2019 Dawn Rutan. Original image copyright free from pixabay.com modified. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.