As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 4: 10-11
It is easy for one to be discouraged when observing those in the Church who seem to be so blessed by God in terms of gifts and abilities by which they then render unto Him or in service to His Bride. Perhaps in this day and age of near-instantaneous connectivity, where a preacher in the US is of greater access to me than my own pastor in my local church, one can be both incredibly blessed and yet evermore conscious of one's own terrible failings and weaknesses.
One thinks of men with great minds and intellect like Jonathan Edwards or D. A. Carson. One thinks of men who live or lived with such a passion for God that defies belief like Leonard Ravenhill, A. W. Tozer and Paul Washer. One thinks of men who gave up everything that they had on this Earth for service to the King like David Brainerd and George Muller. Then there are men like Ravi Zacharias and James White who, with their sharp minds, are able to defend the Faith ably against those who seek to dispute it. What more of others like Paris Reidhead, John Piper, David Wilkerson, the Puritans, Charles Spurgeon etc.... All of whom were extremely gifted and who used their gifts to bring much glory to His Name.
Even amongst those around me, I see those with sharper minds and intellects, those with more faith and assurance, those with great musical talents or oratory skills, those who are able to write much better, those who are more faithful, loving, self-sacrificial, etc.... What could one do then in service to the Lord when one is so lacking in ability?
I must confess that much of my disquiet and grumbling is simply due to pride and envy. The desire to be something great, to be well-known/accepted/loved. What great danger is there even in service to God! How subtle and insidious it is. Thomas Watson, in his book The Godly Man's Picture, writes of one characteristic in such a man as his love for the saints.
"We must love the saints though their graces outvie and surpass ours. We ought to bless God for the eminence of another's grace, because hereby religion is honoured. Pride is not quite slain in a believer. Saints themselves are apt to grudge and repine at each other's excellences. Is it not strange that the same person should hate one man for his sin and envy another for his virtue? Christians need to look to their hearts. Love is right and genuine when we can rejoice in the graces of others though they seem to eclipse ours."
- Thomas Watson
This is the number one cause for hesitation in my considerations of full-time ministry. How I fear what great disrepute I should bring to Him through my hypocritical service.
And what of one's lack of ability? I am persuaded that one's discontent over the lack of one's ability is born out of ingratitude and faithlessness.
Ingratitude, because one has denigrated one's own God-given abilities, no matter how small. Are you wiser than God? Are you able to give Him counsel? Surely He knows our innermost being and temperament and He gives us abilities as is appropriate and good to us. Shall He give His children things which would cause them to wander further away from Him? Surely not! Likewise, would He give those of us who are more prone to pride greater gifts and abilities, that we might be further tempted to boast in them and not in Christ? So all that He has given, He has given in His infinite wisdom and purpose and is suitable for our appointed station in life.
Faithlessness, because one does not believe that God is able to use the base things and little things of this world to confound the wise and to do His work. Moses spoke with a stutter and yet he led a nation out of captivity. David was the youngest and the least in his family and yet God made him king over Israel. The little boy who gave up his lunch had but five loaves of bread and two small fishes and yet Jesus used it to give a magnificent display of God's Providence to five thousand men. Many of the disciples who were called were unlearned men and yet they were given the incredible privilege of beings His Apostles. "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out." (Matt. 12:20a) - How precious is that promise! It is little wonder then that the Apostle Paul should so write to the Corinthians,
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."
- 1 Cor. 1: 26-29
That He should take what little that we have and use it for His great purposes. Should we not then rejoice, even in what little He may have given us, and give, as that poor widow who gave two small copper coins, all of it in service to Him, to His praise and glory. As it was quoted of a saint of old before she was martyred for her belief in Christ, "I cannot dispute for Christ, but I can burn for Him." Let him who serves serve in the strength that God supplies, so that in all things He may be glorified. Why then should I continue to grumble against Him?
There are no great men of God. There are only weak, feeble men of a great and merciful God.
- Paul Washer
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