I was unable to attend church this last week. Several nights
of broken and little sleep caught up with me. But I am fortunate to have John's
service in writing, so I am able to think about the direction it took.
Firstly there is the possibility of God shining his light on
... a person, a job to do, an idea, ... or anything that exists, really. That
is how God communicates with us but we don't have to expect anything dramatic.
As John said on Sunday, most of our lives are lived in ordinary pursuits,
looking after ourselves and others. But it's how we do that which matters. Do
we leave ourselves open to God's "light" which can come to us in many
ways, often many ordinary ways; or do we charge ahead, knowing the best way
ourselves?
If we are alert to God's light or God's voice, my experience
is that the truth will finally dawn on us.
Sometimes we have to suffer making a mistake or two before we
get it right. Those of us who are less headstrong, move with more caution,
watching carefully for God's light, before we act or speak. In my experience
I'm of the former group and have to say "sorry" more than I would
have to if I took more care.
Then there is the other aspect to being a servant of God. We
may think we are not good enough for a task. But if we look closely into the
lives that God chose, we would realise it is God that makes the difference, not
the people themselves. Many people are aware that Moses didn't think he could
do the work God had set before him. Think of how Paul started out. Before Paul
there were the very ordinary men who Jesus chose to follow him at the start of
his ministry.
Read the whole story of the Corinthians. They were not an obvious
choice for people who would establish one of the foundation churches. We are
all just people, with all our flaws, our disabilities, our selfishness.
What if I said I couldn't serve God because my disabilities
make me unreliable? The thing is that we are all that is on offer. Flawed
beings are all that God has to work with. And you are just as much his hands
and voice in this world as any other person who seeks to live according to his
will.
Step up.
