The Jewish religious leaders send men to John the Baptist, in John 1: 19, and they ask him this question, "Who are you?" Now this question could have been given in at least of couple of different ways.
"Who are you?" as in, who in the world are you, with no religious training, to be preaching and baptizing the people, people that we are responsible for, and who look up to us to lead them. "Who do you think you are, anyway?"
"Who are you?" as in, we realize there is something going on here, and the people do also, "so who do you claim to be?" The people expect us to know how God is working, or if it is from God or man.
It may be a stretch, but I feel God is using these verses to tell me something. Note the situation:
For about a year, the elders in our church have been spending a lot of time, according to their testimony, in the selection process for another two elders to be added to their number. In our church, elders are not voted in by the congregation, but are asked by the current board of elders to serve. So the whole process is done with a lot of prayer, to select the men they feel are the ones that God has pointed out.
OK, that is not bad until the selection process ends on yours truly. I know me and I know all my shortcomings, sins, deficiencies, foibles, etc, and I would doubt that I could possibly be that man. Surely they heard wrong, or they just got tired and said "let's go with this guy".
In my mind I can also hear the congregation saying, "Who are you to do this?" In my heart, too, I hear the question "Who are you?"
Then, as I think on these verses this morning, and try to answer the question, another Bible story comes to my mind. Mordecai speaks into Queen Esther's life with this: "perhaps you are here for such a time as this". In short, "who are you to not be called?"
Now I certainly do not equate my life or my situation with that of Queen Esther, but I would like to emulate her willingness to be used. When the question comes to my mind, "Why me"?, should I respond with another question, "Why not me?"
Perhaps I should answer as Eli cautioned Samuel to say, when he sensed God's call, "Speak Lord, your servant is listening".
Who am I, anyway?
We are all riddled with sin and imperfections. But if "we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." life seems to be a out living in this process... messing up, confessing, and restoring. If you do not think you are in that process, then you simply cannot see your sin.
ReplyDeleteOne of the daily miracles I experience is that God can (and does) use me, in all my imperfections, to do the things he has called me to do. Do I do them perfectly? No... I mean, never! But He takes my feeble efforts and uses them for my good and His glory. Praise the Lord!
So... Who are you? a good son, a wonderful husband, a great dad! And I can honestly use those adjectives, because you have a heart that wants to honor the Lord. And that is enough... just desiring Him and wanting to honor him in all you do.
And, by the way, you make a great elder, too.
Don, it seems like I am always a day behind reading your journal. Far be it from me to offer advise and council to you, so take my thoughts as encouragement. Today I have just read Oswald's comments on Luke 23:26 (Jan 11) and it seems to me that his thoughts should be appropriate for your question of "who am I?"
ReplyDeleteOswald says that when we obey God, it will cost others more than it costs us - I get from this that we cannot please both God and man, and often there is a great difference.
Oswald's last sentence sums up his message: "Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him."
So, continue to serve God, as He has, through men, chosen you to lead other men.