2006-12-13 - Never too Late/Early

Ephesians 1:1, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus."

It is common for many to think that they are too old or two young to be useful for Jesus Christ and kingdom work. This is something that has proven wrong time and time again throughout history. The base of this faulty thinking is that "we" are just not in a position to really make an impact, of any real significance, in the advance of the cause of Jesus Christ. In one sense this is not faulty thinking, because being useful in the advance of the kingdom of God is not about "we", but rather about the Holy Spirit using us.

Again, history has shown that age really isn't an issue. George Whitefield was one of the greatest preachers the world has ever seen. He witnessed many of his largest crowds when in his 20's. Martin Luther gets credit for breaking away from Roman Catholicism and bringing the Bible, and the gospel, back to the people in what has been called the Reformation. He is quoted at least as often, if not more, than any other individual that I come upon in my reading. He did not start to preach truth until he was almost 50 years old, and died before he reached 65. Lastly, we are all aware that the public ministry of Christ lasted only about three years.

It is the Spirit who gives our efforts success. It is not flashy programs. It is not seeker sensitive mentalities, but rather the Holy Spirit who triumphs through our efforts. Our efforts are often feeble, but the Spirit is like the wind and works were He pleases, when He pleases, and how He pleases. It is our responsibility to give the Lord our best and then pray for the Spirit to bless.

You cannot know the impact your efforts to be faithful to Christ might have. It may be that one act in your life has a profound influence upon another, who in turn reaches out to another, who ends up being the mother of the some leading preacher in a great future awakening of souls 55 years from now. We cannot know. Our responsibility is to be faithful and trust the Lord that He will prosper our efforts, not for our glory, but for His.

It really doesn't make a difference what age you are. It equally does not matter what your health conditions might be, your level of education, social standing, location, or any other factor we might put forward. The point is that the Lord seems often to be pleased to use faithfulness to advance His work. You may never see or know the significance of your striving this side of eternity. However, generations down the road may be influenced by those things that you consider small efforts on your part. We just can't know, but we can strive to be faithful and pray that the Lord would use our efforts to His glory whether we know it or not.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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