Preach, Sister!

Have you ever been in church or at a conference where someone’s message hit straight to your core?  You thought, wow, if only I had something like that to offer!

I’ve been there. Now what could I possibly have to say of any inspirational value to someone else?  Why the heck do I feel the need to write a blog about my faith?

So often in this process I’ve let satan tell me that I’m not knowledgeable enough in Scripture or educated enough in the Bible or certainly qualified enough to minister to others through the sharing of my story.

And then I came to 1 Corinthians. Recently, I started in Acts and have just kept moving forward in the New Testament. The timing in reaching 1 Corinthians is no coincidence. As I’ve had these questions pop up in my head, God brought me some much needed clarity through the Scriptures I’m about to share.

1 Corinthians 1:17

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel- not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.”

Paul is talking to the church in Corinth. Unlike me, Paul was very well educated in Scripture, had a direct physical God-encounter that radically changed his life, and went from murderer to preacher. His pathway to sharing his faith journey might be different than mine but our calling is the same….preach (or simply share) the gospel.

I am going to assume that Paul had to fight the urge to draw on his theological training/education in order to allow God to be at the center of his message. On the other hand, I have to fight the urge to avoid sharing due to my lack of formal religious training in order to share the gospel through my own life story.

We all have to leave something at the foot of the Cross to allow Christ’s power to consume us so that our message is about Him, for Him, and nothing else.

If my focus is on me and how I’m being portrayed, then it can’t be on Him and the power of the gospel. God will provide the words that need to be heard in order to reveal His glory, and He does this when I am in tune with Him.

How does the tuning process work?  How can a beautiful melody occur between my Father and I?  It begins and ends with a relationship…through prayer, fellowship in community, communication through Scripture, and time, among other things.

So if you are like me and get nervous about saying the wrong thing to someone, knowing you are doing your best to share His Truth, rest assured that neither you nor I have that kind of power. All He asks is that I make myself available, and He will do the rest!

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

“And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.  I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.  My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.”

You see, God isn’t looking for elite religious pedigrees. He’s looking for a relationship. He’s looking for you. He’s looking for me.

I feel called by God to share my story, a story unlike any other. My prayer is that He will always guide my spiritual revelations so that my story, His story, brings hope and encouragement to others.

Feel like you have nothing to offer?  Afraid you aren’t equipped to know His Truth?  Let’s lay those uncertainties at the Cross because God is calling YOU!  If we open our hearts and minds to Him, He will use us in amazing ways for His purpose to reach those around us. You just never know when your story will forever be intertwined with another.

So many people’s stories have impacted mine because they had the courage to share!

Ashley

“This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

~Psalm 118:24