God @ Work

This past week I have been wonderfully reminded of God’s sovereign grace. I have had the privilege of participating in a Pastor’s Leadership Retreat at Lake Hickory with 14 pastors from all over the state. One of the things we have been doing is what we've called a “System Restore”. You know what I’m talking about… When you have a problem with your computer, you can access the system tools and restore the system to a previous point when everything was working smoothly. But instead of doing that with our computers, we're doing it with our lives.
In that process, we have revisited our calling to ministry and discussed the events of life which led us up to the moment of salvation and then on to accept God's call on our lives. Doing that sort of thing isn’t always a fun exercise. You have to drag out some ugly stuff sometimes… things you’re not proud of and you’d just as soon no one every found out about you… But the one consistent thing I have heard as we've shared and listened to each other's story, is how God takes the shortcomings and defeats of our lives and uses them in victorious ways for His glory. The very issues we often see as detrimental to our ability to be influential in ministry are many times the tools God to make us most influential. It goes to show the truth in the fact that in our weaknesses God is strong. And He is definitely working all things together for good for those who are called according to His purpose. We are all called on purpose for a purpose… and if we’ve encountered the redeeming grace of Christ, we’ve answered the call. Therefore, God is certainly at work in the good times and bad… the highs and lows… the victories and defeats… for our good and His glory. So the next time the devil tries to convince you that you're less than a redeemed child of God - rebuke his lies. And in place of listening to him, begin to thank God for His sovereign plan. Praise Him for His grace. Praise Him for the fact that He’s @ work even in the midst of our messes. And thank Him that He never gives up on us or kicks us out of the ‘family’.

Posted in: God's love, grace, sovereignty