As a teenager, I had to telephone someone I did not know to complete a school project. My public speaking and people skills were borderline nonexistent. It took all my resolve to dial the man’s phone number.
I do not remember the conversation, but I remember the fear I felt. It was traumatic enough that I still recall standing near the phone for a long time before calling him, trying to whip up my courage.
I am an introvert. Socializing and conversing with others drains me emotionally. Yet God called me into His service as a vocational Christian leader.
I identify with Paul’s summation of Christians, including Christian leaders. “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you” (1 Corinthians 1:26 NLT). God delights in using nobodies to get His work done and extend His Kingdom so He gets the glory.
The Bible illustrates that He repeatedly uses reluctant, self-doubting leaders. God’s grace makes a way for them to get the job done.
Jonah wasn’t a willing servant. He fled instead of obeying God’s directive to preach to Nineveh. He went west instead of east. Surviving a great fish swallowing him motivated him to quit resisting (Jonah 1).
Moses spouted endless excuses insisting he was not right for God’s mission. God promised to be with him and instruct him on what to say (Exodus 4:12).
Gideon asked for many signs and tests to prove God would help him rescue Israel from the Midianites. He justified his resistance by saying his clan was the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh and he was the least in his whole family (Judges 6:15). God promised He would be with him to accomplish the task (Judges 6:16).
After God called him, Jeremiah excused himself by insisting he could not speak for God because he was too young for the job (Jeremiah 1:5–6). God promised His presence and protection.
Other reluctant leaders include Jehu, Esther, Ananias, King Saul, and Samuel. God makes a way for them and us to accomplish His purpose.
What obstacles make you reluctant to follow God’s leading in your life? It could be things you fear or love.
God can instantly remove everything that keeps us from doing His will. That is what He did for Simon Peter. He was imprisoned and in chains. No problem.
“Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists” (Acts 12:7 NLT).
“They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself” (Acts 12:10 NLT).
God removed obstacles that kept me from ministering to others effectively. My lack of people skills and inability to communicate were among them. My chains took years to remove whereas Peter’s disappeared in an eyeblink.
God sometimes unexpectedly removes another kind of chain—our present mission. It might be painful and not make sense at the moment.
Philip left a fruitful ministry in Samaria to minister to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8). I would struggle to say goodbye to a ministry that touches many people for Christ. Probably Philip was more responsive to the Holy Spirit than I.
The last thing God called us to do for Him can become chains and an iron door preventing us from embracing something bigger. I kicked and screamed when He changed my ministry direction, but it was necessary to touch far more people. It is always too soon to quit.
God makes a way! Sometimes we shake our heads in wonder as Peter probably did. Sometimes we shake our fists because of the pain of loss. He knows what He is doing. God makes a way. See additional free spiritual growth resources for Christians. #freechristiandiscipleshipresources #freeevangelismresources #freechristianleadershipresources
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