He’ll Use What You Have

I was just listening to a preacher named Nathan Morris, and he shared something that got me thinking. He said that when Jesus stepped into Peter’s boat Peter saw it as a boat, but Jesus saw it as a platform. A platform to do His works. Jesus stepped into Peter’s world, a world of fishing. And then He did something miraculous, I don’t mean all the fish that appeared, but the real miracle is that he took Peter and changed his life. He can do the same with us. He’ll step into our world, our everyday life and somehow use it as His showcase to show others who He is.

It’s easy to think our life isn’t much of a stage if we aren’t a public speaker or in the spotlight. What we don’t realize is our “boring” lives are often the greatest lights to the world. It’s one thing to listen to a preacher or singer when they are on camera, but you can’t see them living out their message once the show is over. That’s where we come in. What we consider our “boring” daily routines are our platforms that God uses to be a light to the world around us. All the little things, going to work, going to school, taking care of our children and our homes, these are areas God uses. The way we treat those closest to us behind closed doors, that’s one of the most beautiful stages Jesus can walk.

It all starts without us even knowing, and that blows my mind on how amazing God is :)!! I can’t help but grin as I write this. There are those who you come across in your life and there is something different about them. You may not be able to spot what it is at first but the longer you’re around them and you see them talk, the way they treat others, the way they work hard at their work, etc. You find out they are followers of Jesus. They aren’t just throwing the term, “Christian” around. They are really trying to follow Christ with their lives. They’re trying to follow in His ways… and it stands out!!

There are those you come across where you’ve known them a long time, and then they start to change. These are good changes. They seem lighter, more at peace. They don’t complain as much as they used to. They aren’t as depressed or negative about life. They seem to have more hope. Soon it’s like a metamorphosis and though their personality might be the same, the person isn’t. They’re more pleasant, they make different choices than a lot of people. They start to get made fun of for the things they stay away from. But there is something different and that difference again is Jesus.

Something happened in their life where they accepted God into their heart and became a Jesus follower. The differences you see in them are the platform of Jesus. Their life is a light when you see something changing. After time proves it, you can’t deny there isn’t something real in them, something that is different. What a light they are without trying. They’re just trying to follow in Jesus’s ways and that shines brighter than a preacher on a stage. Sometimes the person is never even aware that the people they interact with see a difference. But God…He works His ways, His amazing ways, without us always knowing that He’s using our lives as His stage.

Some of us love Jesus, but aren’t sure if we’re always a good light. We see our failures. We see where we did NOT handle a situation in the right way. But God uses our failures to bring something good. They humble us and remind us how human we are, and how much we need a Savior. The world can still see a difference in us even when we fail. We still try to live in a way that pleases Christ and those every day choices are a light. People might see us fail, but that’s where we get to be honest that we need a Savior. And what a message that is since all of us fail and all of us need a Savior. There is only one Savior and that is Jesus. We can’t save others, only He can.

Something else God uses in our lives without us knowing is a continued metamorphosis. When we accepted Jesus into our hearts it started. But it continues our whole lives because we ALWAYS need a Savior, a Lord, a Father, who works on our hearts and changes us day by day. Maybe you see your main areas that you struggle with. The people around you see them too. For example anger, jealousy, gossip, complaining etc…. but then the people around you start to notice that you’ve stopped gossiping, the way you talk about people has changed. It’s because God is working on our hearts and changing us throughout our lives. These areas change, they become bright, a stage for God’s light to shine.

When I first became chronically ill and could barely leave my room I didn’t know God could somehow use my life as a “shut-in” to show Himself. As this trial of disease hit me, people were waiting for me to throw God to the side and hate Him for not preventing this tragedy. I didn’t know that’s what some people were waiting for. I didn’t throw God to the side, and instead my relationship with Him was the rock I needed to weather me through my storm. I didn’t realize my personal choice to cling to God would somehow be a platform for Jesus.

I’m amazed that God used a time in my life that I was around the least amount of people to be a light. I’m an extrovert and I love meeting new people. So in my mind, in order to reach a lot of people you would need to have access to talk to and visit with a lot of people. Here I was in a dark room, in pain, only talking to my parents and brother (the family I was now living with). But somehow my story spread. When people would ask my family about me they would say “no she’s not mad at God” and somehow God used that to spread my story and reach people. I didn’t get it because I wasn’t DOING anything!!! But God :)… my heart was His stage. It was GOD who was reaching people through my journey.

You might fee l like you’ve worked the same job with the same people for so many years, you go home to your family, and that’s it. What you don’t know is that God’s been using your life, your stability and your character to shine in front of the people you work with, and even more the people you go home to at night. The way you treat your family, your parents, your spouse, your kids, that is a light. Loving them is a light. The nugget of inspiration God’s given your family and coworkers through you is going to continue to sew fruit in His kingdom throughout their lives.

Maybe you’re the stay at home mom, changing diapers, cooking dinners, scrubbing the bathroom, and you feel like you aren’t doing anything to make a difference. But this is your time that you’re showing unconditional love to your kids and husband by being the servant of all, by doing these humble chores with a good attitude. This inspires your husband and affects your children. It affects more people then you probably can see.

There is one thing we can do to be a light, love God. Our personal relationship with Him is what changes us. God grows us, He gives us love for others. He convicts us. He teaches us. This all happens in our heart before God. And that shines in our attitude and actions. This is how God can use ANY situation, even someone who is chronically ill who barely speaks to anyone, to be a platform for HIS purposes. 🙂

Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

I pray we, the body of Christ, begin to appreciate the platform that He has given us in our every day lives. Even with our flaws, God’s light shines in us. That’s the amazing grace of Jesus!

I’ve recently started posting videos the beginning of each month on you tube and you can check the most recent out below :). You can also follow my personal health journey more closely at: https://www.facebook.com/RadicalRoad/