When Fear Melts Into Freedom
A small little bird was trapped in a net ball containing bird food near our back window. It was fluttering about trying to escape. We went out to help it, but when it saw us coming, it chirped furiously in panic. We pulled down the net ball, bird attached, and held it gently, speaking softly to the little guy. At this point he was listless and tired from trying to escape, for perhaps hours. We carefully and gently cut the net from around its legs and gently set it on the picnic table. It immediately flew away in freedom.
Its initial panic eventually yielded to let one much more powerful, yet gentle, release it from bondage.
When God sees us trapped, we often struggle to escape by our own devices, yet we consistently fail until we yield to God's gentle and gracious power to release us. Only then do we find true freedom.
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1, NIV).
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29, NIV).
Offering Our Weaknesses To God As His Weapons
"He never received a formal education. His numerous letters, many of which still exist, are filled with grammatical errors. His physical appearance is not particularly impressive. His voice is high-pitched and nasal. Yet, these obstacles did not hinder God from using him to shake two continents."
A journalist was sent by his newspaper to write about the gospel campaign organized by D.L. Moody in England and to find out what the secret was behind his ability to bring so many people to Christ, those from both the nobility and the common people. After careful observation, he reported, "I cannot see anything in Moody that can explain his astonishing work."
When Moody read the report, he purportedly chuckled and said,
"That is precisely the secret of the spiritual revival that has taken place. The power of God has worked in [me]. The work is God's, not mine.'"
The way God works is beyond human comprehension. He uses those who surrender themselves and allow Him to work more than they can think or imagine.
J.S. Stewart wrote,
"It is that God always builds His kingdom on the very things that are weak and humble in man, and He can not only use us in our ordinariness and helplessness, with weaknesses that render us seemingly useless, but precisely because of those weaknesses ... there is nothing that can overcome a congregation or a soul that is taken, not by its strength, but by its weaknesses, offering those weaknesses to God as His weapons.'"
Today, as you look at your life and the "work" that is set before you (in your career, your child rearing, your ministry, or whatever), remember the "work" is not yours to do. It is God's to do through you. Surrender yourself to Him and His purposes.
Offer up your weaknesses to Him as His weapons!
"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Blessed Life
A fan and a windmill -- two similar objects, similar shapes, similar parts, similar assembly. What sets them apart is the way they function.
A fan spins to produce air, while a windmill spins as a result of air blowing.
Some individuals act like fans. They produce a power and energy that brings coolness and refreshment to others. It might be in the form of uplifting words, advice, and comfort, or actions and attention directed towards those in great need. They have the heart to move and take action, influencing the people around them. Those whose lives are tapped into the love and power of God can, in turn, be a great blessing to others.
Others are like windmills.These people always wait for a push from others before moving or taking action. There is no initiative or desire to move on their own. Such people are individuals who "lack a heart" to serve. They do things out of obligation, not because of an internal drive or calling. They are "unplugged" from the source of power.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NIV).