The road outside of town is bumpy. The driver has to navigate potholes like an obstacle course to get to the village an hour away. I am headed to a new day of ministry. I have no idea where, but all I know is that today is my day to speak to the people in the village.
Days earlier, the coolness of the morning air touched my body as I sat down to do my morning devotion. I flipped to Matthew 23 and when I read it, it really caught my attention. Jesus was talking to the Pharisees (people who strictly followed the law but lost sight of what it meant to truly follow God) and he told them, “Woe to you, you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup, but the inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. First clean the inside of the cup so that the outside also may be clean.” Matthew 23:25-26. That jumped out at me like it hadn’t ever before. This was what I had planned on speaking on.
As I bounced in the van, my head slammed against the roof of the bumpy car, and my thoughts turned into doubts.
“What if this doesn’t make sense in their culture?”
“Maybe I was wrong and should just speak on my last sermon…”
As I was doubted and thought of switching sermons God reminded me that He planned me to flip to Matthew 23. He made it stick out to me so I would speak on it. Yes, I did not know the culture very well but I was reminded that we, no matter where I was in the world, are surrounded by humans who all have the same human desires, to please others- make the outside clean.
I scanned all the faces sitting eagerly, ready to hear the word of God as thoughts of doubt still lingered in my mind. But I knew that no matter what I said it wouldn’t mean anything if I didn’t let God in to speak through me, so even with these doubts I walked up to the front, and I trusted that He would use my words to speak to the people in this rural village. So I spoke…
“…As humans we try to make others think we are doing better than we may actually be doing. It’s hard to let others in because we all have a past and have made mistakes, but have to clean the inside. And that’s why we need Jesus. Our God already knows everything we have done and will do. But through all of our mistakes He chose to forgive every single wrong we have ever done. He gave His life for you and chose to die on a cross bearing all of your sins so you could have a relationship with Him. And whatever we are facing today we are not alone because our God is always with you. Yes, now if you choose to seek Him you will find Him…”
As I finished not knowing if any of it made sense, Pastor started to speak. In the moment I had no idea what was happening as my eyes watched hands starting to rise from the crowd. Because I chose to have God use my words, people chose to give their lives to Christ! I sat in awe, my jaw dropping as I realized that through my doubt God used me simply because I chose to say yes. I said yes to His will. I said yes, knowing that I was unqualified. I trusted that He fully was able to use me and work through me and because of this, I saw the result of my trust in the ways that God used me to bring people to Christ at that very moment.
Thank You for reading. Logan, one of my teammates, needs your help. She still has to raise over 6 thousand for the mission trip BEFORE the end of February. You can support her at http://LoganMcMamee.theworldrace.org
