Unaware of the Impact: The Moral of the Story

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