Yes You Can

I know you feel like this sometimes: There are so many things that need to be done for the Kingdom. There's a world full of people who need to hear the gospel. There's spiritual warfare that needs to be fought. There are young believers who need to be discipled. There are children who need homes, hungry who need food, hurting who need comfort. But what can I do? I'm weak. I have no special gifts or talents. I don't know how to do things like that. I can't do anything.

Yes you can. Do you know how I know?

Let's take a quick walk through the Bible.

In Exodus we find Moses, the Hebrew boy raised in the pharaoh's household, but he kills a man and runs off to the wilderness. Still God calls him to lead Israel out of Egypt. He gives him supernatural signs to perform to demonstrate the power of God. But Moses doesn't want to do it. "I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue" (Ex 4:10). God says he'll help him speak, but Moses still begs off. So God lets him speak through Aaron (4:14-15). The Exodus goes off as planned, and God frees the Israelites through a big honking chicken.

Fast forward to Judges. The Midianites oppress Israel. Gideon is hiding from them. God sends an angel to call Gideon to lead the Israelites out of the clutches of their oppressors, promising supernatural support. But Gideon doesn't believe. So God gives him a sign. And another. And another. And still another. Finally he agrees. (Judges 6) So God again frees Israel through a big honking chicken.

But the story of Gideon gets better. Gideon gets himself an army. God tells him his army is too big, he needs to get rid of some of them. Then he tells him to get rid of more. Why? So no one will doubt that God is the one who did the saving (Judges 7).

And that's the real story here. God loves to use completely unqualified people. He built a chosen nation from a barren old couple. Moses "can't speak well", so he's the mouthpiece of God. Gideon is no general, in fact he's pretty much a coward at the head of a very small army. David was the youngest and smallest of Jesse's sons.

Did Jesus choose trained Bible teachers or professional orators? No, he choose uneducated fisherman to preach the gospel. Ah but Paul was educated and a great speaker. And a murderer.

God often uses unlikely, even unqualified people to do the work of the kingdom because then it is clear that the success is God's doing.

Now let's bring this home: I am an introvert. I am quite shy. Those aren't the same things, and I am both. I don't know how to strike up a conversation with a stranger. I'm not good at small talk. My "resting face" apparently always looks angry. I'm the last person who should be out sharing the gospel. So if I do make myself do the thing I know I'm supposed to do and people respond and follow Jesus, it will be a clear example of God using unqualified people to do his work. God gets the glory.

Are you shy? Do you have social anxiety? Do you stutter? God can use you.

Do you have poor people skills? A poor memory? God can use you.

Do you have "a past"? God can use you.

There is so much the church needs to be doing in our world to help them see and know Jesus. Can you be part of that? Yes, you can.


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