Being available

Sometimes I come across followers of Christ who diminish their role in the kingdom of God. They feel that they aren't important. They articulate when asked to participate in ministry, "I can't do that." "God could never use me." "I can't do anything." "I worthless."

First of all, let me share a word of encouragement. You are worth something. You are valuable in God's kingdom. God has gifted you. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you have been given one if not several spiritual giftings from the Holy Spirit. Nobody is left, "giftless."

Everyone is needed at the Stone Church. No one is to be left out. The person working in the sound booth and cleaning the rest rooms are just as important as the person leading worship or presenting the teaching on a Sunday morning.

You are needed! You are important!

Here's the key: Be available.

Corrie Ten Boom writes: “God has no hands but ours. God does not ask about our ability or our inability, but our availability. It is not my ability, but my response to God’s ability, that counts."

God calls us all simply to be available. Here's what I know: Availability is more important than ability. Attitude is more important than aptitude.

We must stop focusing in on what we can't do and let God decide what we can't do and focus in on what we can do.

I believe that we are going to be amazed in heaven at the people God has used. God is not looking for the super talented or the super gifted or the superstar (although he can use them as well).

He's looking for ordinary people with faults and hangups and fear and failures. He's not looking necessarily for the brilliant but for those of average intelligence.

He calls us all to be available.

Take his disciples. In the natural sense they were a bunch of loser. Almost every time they are mentioned in the Bible, they are mending their nets. They couldn't even keep their nets mended.

And yet - they turned the world upside down for Jesus.

I encourage you - make yourself available for ministry!