Doubts and Jesus

I often say, “There’s no way I could do that,” thinking that I am limiting myself and my abilities. What I am really doing is doubting the power of God to take care of me and help me with what He has promised.

The woman at the well in John 4 had “misgivings” about Jesus, as Oswald Chambers states in today’s entry for My Utmost for His Highest. She wasn’t sure that Jesus could draw water because He had nothing to put in the deep well. I do the same thing.

For example, my family often has the conversation about raising more financial support. We need more monthly support, but we often say, “But we have no more contacts to ask.” What we are really saying is that God can’t provide the money for us because we can’t figure out a way to raise it.

I also say often, “Who am I to head up a ministry in Latin America?” I don’t have the credentials to do this. But God has the power not only to draw from the well, but to create the water to fill the well. He could have filled the pitcher without drawing from that well. He can do as He pleases.

We must believe that God has miraculous power to provide for our needs, and we rely on His power and not our own.

Servanthood

I was reading in My Utmost for His Highest this morning about Paul’s concept of service. In it, Chambers says, “The institutional church’s idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ’s idea. His idea is that we serve Him y being servants of others. Jesus Christ actually ‘out-socialized’ the socialists. He said that in His kingdom the greatest one would be the servant of all.”

His point is that we as Christians should be servants first. Leadership is based on servanthood. If I am not willing to serve, I have no right to lead. We should not look to obtain positions of honor, but to serve first. Obedience to Christ means serving others in the most minimal of details. Do the things that are unimportant in the eyes of most people. That is the mark of a true leader.