Have you ever considered that God already accounted for your nature to fail again and again when God planned your future? When God sat on his throne and decided, this person will do my will, did He account for your fears? This person will shine some light into the darkness, did He account for your insecurities? Do you think God counted on Moses to be in Egypt for 80 years but when Moses was 40 and killed an Egyptian, God had to change His plans? Do you think God planned the giant sea animal to swallow Jonah after he decided to disobey?

We serve a God who is holy. His will for us is our sanctification which happens every day. Why do we need sanctification every day? Because we mess up every day! People who are ministers say or do imperfect things. I am not talking about willful sins but being less than perfect. But God uses our imperfection to bring glory to himself. If we were perfect, why would we need God or the salvation he offers? Without God, we are flawed and useless scum.

Do not wait until you are perfect to start serving. Paul was not perfect. He struggled as much as another human. If Paul waited to be perfect before planting churches and writing to church, we would not have seen his name in the Bible. Also, I do not want this to be misconstrued as jump into ministry before discipleship. This is about some waiting for life to finally quiet down and then following their calling.  God sees your doubt and pain every day. Despite all your short comings, He called you to bring glory to His name. God did not call those who boast in themselves. How often do you come across people who are “saved” because they were smart to understand His Word? Save your humble brag. Let me tell you – those are some ignorant fools. Despite getting advanced education according to Jewish standards, Paul did not boast in anything but Christ for his salvation. God wanted the wretched who had nothing to boast about. If there were more steps than confessing and believing in my heart to salvation, I would have failed. If needed to be smart, beautiful, articulated, healthy, strong or meet the standards set by society to be saved, I would not and could not have been saved. I fail on a daily basis but I stand firm in the knowledge that Christ is enough for me. His death and resurrection made it possible for me to be a child of Almighty God who is perfect! Oh his love for us!

So where am I going with this? God sees you where you are, He sees your failures, setbacks, lack of “skills”. But He has given you talents that are to be used for His Kingdom. So, wash yourself daily in the blood of Jesus and stop hiding under the basket but be on the lamppost so that others may see your light and glorify God.

Here are the verses I used to write the entry. All verses below are from NASB translation.

Sanctification:

1. Thessalonians 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

Paul’s struggle:

Romans 7:15-20 For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

Paul’s boasting:

Romans 15:16-18 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, so that my offering of the Gentiles may become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God. For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Galatians 6:13-15 For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh. But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.

God’s selection of the weak and foolish things:

1 Corinthians 1:26-28 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,