1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.
The very last sermon I heard at church before leaving on the race there was guest speaker. At the end of his message he started talking about one prayer that God will always answer without a doubt. It was a prayer that really hit home with me as it was something that I had been praying constantly during that season. The prayer itself is really quite simple yet it is very profound in nature. It consists of two words…"Use Me".
During that season of life I was reading about the people God used in the Bible. He spoke to me and showed me what He could do with one life whose heart was obedient to Him. Guys like Gideon and Moses really hit home. I've always heard it said that God doesn't call the qualified but that He qualifies the called and this rings so true reading The Scriptures.
There came a time in my walk with God where a transition occurred. Instead of letting the remaining chaff that I still had in my life disqualify me from being a beacon of hope, I decided to answer the call of God on my life. I put my heart in the posture of this prayer and God started to move in big ways. No longer was I being tossed going back and forth wondering if God really loved me or not but my heart burned for wanting people to know and experience this love.
One of our last weeks of ministry we worked on renovating a park that looked like it hadn't been used in years. The grass was waste high, the swings were broken, trash was everywhere, graffiti was all over the walls, the basketball nets were ripped, and there were huge piles of brush everywhere.
Our first day on the job we began to mow the field and clean up the trash. At the end of day one, the park still didn't look great but it did look a little better. With each passing day the park began to look more and more appealing.
By the end of the week we had cut the grass, fixed the swings, picked up the trash, painted the walls, painted a mural, put up new basketball nets, scrubbed the basketball court and cleared out the brush. The people of the community didn't understand why we were doing what we were doing but they were so grateful and would always check on us.
I went back to the park that next week and I saw two families out their playing. Two families with young children who have probably always steered cleared of the abandoned park next door. Anyways I saw them enjoying the results of our labor.
It's the same way in The Kingdom. Once you say yes to God, He comes in with His mop bucket and starts cleaning up that "train wreck" of a park in our lives…our hearts. He starts by taking what disqualifies you and He begins to refine it. At first it may not look like much but as time goes on and your relationship is strengthened your life begins to reflect this new reality.
The funny thing is that the moment you open up your heart just enough to experience Gods plan for your life you'll find yourself actually coming more alive than ever and everyone around you gets to experience those benefits of Gods redemption as you begin to radiate His glory.
The enemy would love to sit there and knit pick at my imperfections but I'm not listening to him anymore. My prayer is that I will wake up every morning only to be undone by His love because that's the only reality left.
In the Absence of light, darkness prevails. The reason darkness prevails is that The Light (the children of God) are sitting back and not shining the light they have been given.
God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
Use me!
-Robert
I got back home a few days ago and this will be my last blog post. I just want to give a special thanks to all of my supporters and prayer warriors out there! Your comments and encouragements throughout this whole 11 month journey have been both amazing and life giving! I am forever grateful that you have chosen to partner with me during this journey. You are loved!
If you have any further questions or comments you can reach me at [email protected]
