God Says, "I Want To Use You!"

by Carla Castro

I too have fallen into the abyss that has swallowed up the great Anchorite bloggers for the book of Acts. I know that for me, it has been a combination of increased working hours, summertime busy schedules, and the constand go-go-go that comes from having two little ones.

For those who are following Acts, this is the week for Chapter 12.

My intention for writing today, however, has little to do with Acts. I figured, Pastor Tim has given me the access for this blog, so I will use it. ;)

Yesterday, I joined four Anchorites (Pastor Tim, Pat Minch, Steve Dennie, and Terry Leatherman), who I strongly admire for their work and dedication to the church, at the Global Leadership Conference being led by Willow Creek out of Chicago.

It was an honor for me to join them for many reasons. Often, I feel like I'm just one person, what change can I make? Often, the sense of, I'm still too young to be impactful hits my soul. Manytimes, I wonder, why would God want to use ME, imperfect, drama magnet, overweight, lazy, OCD, sinful me to teach others about Him?

Then I realized, because I am His child. Because He loves me.

It was a lesson that was admist the speakers yesterday, and today again, I'm sure. But it wasn't the primary lesson. There were many speeches about leadership, how not to fall, how to follow God's will, how to have a higher purpose, but amongst all those, the first and foremost whisper that I got from God was: I want to use YOU.

And God can use all of us. No matter if you are struggling with an eating disorder or the pinnacle of good health. No difference if you have been born and raised a Christian believer since you were biologically born, or if you lived a life walking alongside Satan before being reborn as a Christian. God does not matter the color of your skin, your IQ, your educational background or you financial status. He has made each of us wonderfully different, so we can impact one another. So we can mentor one another. So we can lead one another.

If you grew up perfect, in a world full of perfect people, how boring would that be? What would you have to strive for? What would you have to show for growth? What would you have to talk about? Nothing. And if we were all perfect, why turn to God? If you have everything, no purpose, no goals, you would need nothing else...including God.

And I don't know about you, but I lived once in a life where I felt like I had it all. Sure, there was more I could obtain, but it was all fruitless. It had no purpose. It was mundane and dull. And I would choose ten thousand struggles if I can have my Savior by my side than a perfect life without Him.

Now, do not mistake this as saying that we should stay put in our sinful and fallen lives. No, this is just saying that God will use you, no matter what you are coming from, no matter where you are right now.

It is now our time to rise. We are called to have our hand out, reaching for that next marker of progress. We are asked to continue to grow, for years and years, into the best Christian leader we may become. And it's a gradual and slow process. Isn't God the best at making us wait?

That's been a huge struggle for me the past year or so since re-accepting Him into my life. He has time and time again told me: "Wait." It's the hardest thing to accept in our give-it-to-me-now consumerist society. You want a movie right now? Stream it into your tv or computer. You want to read that book right now? Download an ebook. You can't afford those nice clothes? Charge them. It works for economics. Not with God.

God will change us, strengthen us, call us to progress and improve. And we should have the desire to rise to that request. But slowly.

So, to bring this back to Acts. Reread it. Look at it closely. Circle or make a note in your Bible of who God chose as His leaders through it all. Was it those who were born into fame and fortune? Or were they the underdogs, the little guys, the people like you and I who woke up asking, "Why would God want to use ME?" And then, pay attention to what they did when God revealed His challenge to them for what He wanted to do in their lives. Pick one to dive into further. Do some additional research. Find a Biblical mentor for your life. And let me know how it goes! :)