Yesterday I heard a song on a Christian radio station that made me think.  The refrain said that if we are the church then where are God’s eyes, His hands, His feet, and it continued in the thought that God is not working because we are not.  Is it enough to attend worship services on Sunday, maybe even attend Sunday School?  Perhaps we don’t see the evidence of God working in our lives because we are not working for Him.

Jesus says, “Knock and the door will be open,” (Luke 11:9) therefore it is up to us to ask God to come into our hearts. By asking Him to come into our hearts, we are also allowing Him to work through us.  He has the power to remove the door, break it down, but He chooses to patiently wait on us. Why does He wait?  Why doesn’t He just hit me over the head and say, “Hey, You!  I have wonderful things in store for you, if you would just listen!” 

Why don’t I volunteer more to do church related things? I find myself holding back due to feeling inadequate, unworthy, or embarrassed that I might make a mistake and look foolish to others. Or I can always justify that someone else is probably better at it than I. Or that I am already doing so much other stuff that I don’t have time.  One of my biggest stumbling blocks is the guilt of knowing that I should be spending more time with God, through Bible study, devotions, and prayer. I just don’t know His word well enough.

Do you remember the story of Rahab? (Joshua 2:1-21) She was the prostitute in the Old Testament that lived in the city of Jericho.  She saw judgment coming and risked her life in an act of faith, by helping two Israelites; she and her family were saved through her willingness to help the Israelite spies.  I wonder what she thought as the seven priests carried the ark and thousands of men walked around the city walls for seven days?  She and her family, who were not believers, waited inside her home for God to deliver them.  When the walls fell, she heard the battle sounds and cries of the people, what was she thinking?  Her faith not only saved her, but her entire family.  If God could use her, who am I to say no when I hear Him asking me to do something?

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak…those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”(Isaiah 40:29-30) Clearly, God will provide what I need when He asks me to do something.  God doesn’t wait for me to be “ready” or spotlessly clean.  He takes ordinary people and accomplishes extraordinary things. 

I am so very thankful that God has found a church home for me, one that asks me to do things even when I am not perfect.  I never would have thought that I would ever be singing in a choir, when the only qualification I have is a love of singing and praising God.  I can’t read music, can barely keep rhythm, but Thanks Be to God that He has given me the willingness to sing praises to His name! The joy I get from singing His praises far outweigh my feelings of embarrassment when I mess up.  (If you want to know how often, just ask our choir director!) Learning the music for Vacation Bible School not only keeps me focused as I practice, but is pure pleasure when I work with the kids!  Talk about Fun!   The best part of being in classes such as Basic Christianity or Discipleship is getting to know others.  When studying, sharing and praying with one another, I truly have felt the power of God at St. Peters.

In Acts 4:13 the Bible says, “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”  I am not perfect but with Jesus in me, I hope that like Peter and John my courage will be strong so others may know Him. When I sing, “Here I am, Lord” I am saying that as part of the church, I will be his feet or hands or arms, which ever He needs me to be. Praise be to God that He has made us a community of worshippers who can learn and share from one another.

--Nancy Guthrie