What’s the moral of my story about my great aunt? All my interaction with Maizie was an interaction with God. God used Maizie to communicate His message, and the reason she was unaware of her impact is because she was a vessel, not the Source. And this is the truth of Christ in me, as me. Because He is the Source of Life, we often are unaware of who He is impacting and how. This is both a mystery and the glory of the exchanged life.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT
Completely Unaware
I like this reality in particular: For the most part, I am completely unaware of Christ’s impact through me. This keeps my eyes focused on Him and He gets the total glory for anything He does. This is wonderful for many reasons. One, if I am looking to impact someone, I am less likely to bring Christ purely. If I am focused on them, it’s a huge temptation to want to solve or satisfy them. This is just our nature. If we see a need, we often feel a desire to fix it. If someone needs a hand, I reach mine out. But if it is Christ doing things through me, He is satisfying the Father through me. I’m not the one trying to fix, tell, teach, support… He is the Source.
Another good reason for this particular reality? No big head. Even the best of us can be tempted to inflate when we bring a solution. And there’s no need to proclaim it aloud, my inward man can boast all by himself to himself. “Look at what I have done!” This statement is usually followed by a raucous crash. What I build inevitably collapses because what my flesh builds is flawed and failing. This is opposed to what Christ’s Life effects, which is eternal and Life-giving.
The Wind Beneath My Wings
The Spirit of Christ moves like a breeze. I am flabbergasted at how God blows in and out like the wind. “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Not only is He the wind toward me but also through me. Christ interacts with us through many vessels, as well as engaging others through us. He is able to bring His message through whatever or whomever He wishes. We don’t know where the Wind is coming from or where He is going.
Jesus bears witness to His own Life and we are His chosen vessels to carry this Life. Through us and towards us He speaks words, gives a hand, or even casts a gaze. He is the singular Source of all Life.
Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT
“If we see a need, [in someone else or myself] we often feel a desire to fix it… if it is Christ doing things through me, He is satisfying the Father through me. I’m not the one trying to fix, tell, teach, support…” It can be one of the most difficult things – to be still and wait upon His moving. Especially when others are looking TO YOU to “fix, tell, teach, support…” Presently I am praying about His will concerning a situation. I had been (at times impatiently) at peace with waiting for His answer. However, as others have… Read more »
Absolutely Tammy, I will pray for you as I pray for myself. I stand with you in this situation that Christ may be revealed and glorified. May you be as unaware while being fully used to bring His presence and Life. Bless you and Love you Tammy! Thank you for commenting! ?
I think I need a rubber stamp that reads “CONSTANTLY AMAZED!” When the “Let Go” devotional ended a few days ago there was an offer for additional materials related to the subject. With a dear friend in mind I ordered the book by Fenelon and Martha’s CD. They arrived in the mail yesterday. I started to just give them to her without even a glance first. But! I sit here now with half a page of penned quotes that I have to hang on to. You might ask, “why I’m posting this here?” If you look up to my earlier… Read more »
Thank you, Tammy, for what (God through) you shared. It ministered to me because I also have a tendency to try to fix myself (and everything else too) and He is teaching me lately to let Him do the fixing and just abide in Him (John 15).