Do you ever wonder how you could really be used by God? Ordinary you. Could God use you? Could he work through you?
Let’s be clear – God does not need you. He really doesn’t. He has the power to do anything he wishes completely on his own. However, God still chooses to use you in his divine and life changing work if you’re available to him. You GET to be part of God’s work. You get to work in the family business with Jesus, making eternal impact on real lives.
But HOW?
Today, I get to share a story with you of how one life radically changed because of the simple acts of a follower of Jesus. Several years ago, a beautiful woman named Addie was struggling. Addie had been in an arranged marriage with a loveless man. Her only introduction to God was through the family’s Muslim beliefs. One day, while in a gas station, Addie heard a radio station being played. On that station, a scripture was shared. Jeremiah 29:11.
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.”
And when Addie heard this scripture for the first time, she began to question if God might have good plans for her too. Was there a future beyond what she knew? Could there be hope for her.
She turned and found there in the gas station a book by Joyce Meyer. She bought that book and began reading. For the first time, Addie learned about the saving grace of Jesus and it changed her entire life. Now, her beautiful daughter who loves Jesus comes on my retreats!
All of this because she was in a gas station that played a Christian radio station. FOREVER CHANGED FOR COUNTLESS GENERATIONS!
Now, what’s wild is the owner and manager of that gas station have no idea of the difference they made. They may think their choice to play Christian music is totally unnoticed and pointless. But one day in Heaven, they will learn of Adie who met Jesus and it all started with their choice to honor God in their gas station.
How could God use you? Oh honey, he could put you in the right place at the right time, simply playing the right music! You could put on your tshirt that says “Jesus Loves You” and feel a little awkward wearing it in the grocery store, but someone could see it and dare to believe it’s true for them for the first time ever. You could put a scripture on the bumper of your car and never know who might desperately need to read it just when you pass.
Here’s what we often miss – Romans 10:17, “Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” Faith in Jesus is the only thing that saves us, but how will we come to faith if someone doesn’t TELL us about Jesus first? Our job is not to convince anyone, our job is to be a vessel that shares the Good News of Jesus. How? Turn on music about Jesus at work. Wear jewelry or clothes that point to Jesus. Hang a canvas print of scripture on your wall. You simply never know who might see it at just the right time and come to faith.
Faith begins by hearing about Jesus. Anyone else’s faith is not your responsibility, but God wants to use you in spreading the word about Jesus. Just share it, play it, wear it, say it, write it, print it, hang it, display it, show it. The rest is not up to you, so don’t make it about you.
I wear a necklace that has the numbers 29:11. It represents Jeremiah 29:11, which is again the scripture that beautiful woman in the gas station first heard. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you, not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” I wear it as a personal reminder to myself of God’s good plans, but I also hope someone might ask me what it means – then I have an opportunity to share the Good News of Jesus with them. It really is that simple.