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Impossible Is Nothing
The apostle Paul writes, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
I can honestly say that God can use anyone, after all, He chose me, a shy, small town kid with really not much to say to start this column almost three years ago. He chose me to write songs and play guitar and make music for Him. He chose me to be part of an awesome ministry called Victory Outreach and play and sing on the worship team. I know I don’t deserve to be where I’m at, but I’m glad that my God looks beyond all my faults, beyond all my imperfections, beyond my natural abilities, beyond what the world may see in me, and He looks into my heart and my soul and He pulls out that which will bring glory to His Name.
In the very next chapter Paul writes, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
And that’s the way I pray that these columns reach you every week. I don’t want to write in my own wisdom or my own thoughts, because I know that I am just a man. I want to write words with the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power”. For I could come to you week to week with catchy phrases and three point messages and a well-written column in every area, but I put aside my own thoughts and aspirations to write what I believe God has given me in my time of prayer and studying.
I say all that to say this, if God can use someone like me, He can use you too. You don’t have to be the wisest, the most talented, the richest or the best looking to be used by God. All throughout scripture we see that God chose ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The only difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little “extra” in front of it. That “extra” is the power and anointing from God that can make even the impossible, possible.
Gideon was the least in his father’s house and his clan was the weakest in all of Manasseh, yet God called Him to deliver all of Israel (Judges 6:15). King David was the youngest in his family and even his own father didn’t think enough of him to bring him to the prophet Samuel when Samuel was looking to anoint the next king (1 Samuel 16:11). Joseph was looked bad upon by his brothers, betrayed and sold into slavery, then betrayed again and thrown into prison, yet God used Him to save Egypt from famine (Genesis 37-46). The disciples Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John were mere fishermen, but God used them to start the movement know as Christianity (Mark 2:16-20). And the apostle Paul was a murderer of those same Christians until God got ahold of him (Acts 9). Paul ended up becoming one of the greatest campaigners and missionaries for the gospel and he wrote most of the New Testament.
Growing up I had the opportunity to go to a Christian University. During my time there we had chapel twice a week and we’d hear great preachers, well-known pastors and learned under excellent teachers. But the people that have influenced me the most, if you look at their lives before Christ, would certainly not qualify according to man’s terms. A heroin addict from New York City who had no future was touched and delivered by God and now Pastor Sonny Arguinzoni is over churches all around the world. A drop out who was caught up in drugs was touched by God and thirteen years ago Pastor Ernie Lopez started Victory Outreach Houston. And my own parents, who were once lost and bound, caught up in drugs and alcohol, were saved and transformed and today I can now say that they are serving and being used by God. And I could go on and on, but I’ve seen it my entire life, God uses the foolish things to confound the wise.
If He can touch and change all of these people and use them for His glory, He can do the same for you. He has called you. He has chosen you. Fear not that calling. I was telling a friend the other day that God will never give you more than you can handle, but with God you will be surprised with what you can. “Impossible is Nothing” for our God.
w/muchluv,
geno
Happy Birthday GABE!!!!!
Happy Birthday SIOBHAN!!!!!!
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