Be Yourself

Not every Believer is expected to do the ministry of Evangelist Billy Graham, Mother Mary Teresa, or Moses.  They were specifically called to stand in God’s strength and supremacy against principalities and powers of darkness. 

Were they blessed of God?  Absolutely, but God loves all of us, equally, with a never ending love.  He gave His Son to die for humanity’s sins—every man, woman, boy, and girl.  This includes you and me no matter how deep in sin we may be. 

All Christians have his or her battles to fight, but God brings the victory when they position themselves to face the opposition, wearing the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18)… Belt of truth; breastplate of righteousness; shoes of the gospel; shield of faith; helmet of salvation; sword of the spirit; praying in the spirit.

It is not difficult to put on the whole armor of God as you might think.  When individuals give themselves to Jesus, they are clothed in God’s armor.  All the pieces of the armor are found in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

God needed personalities like Billy Graham, Mother Teresa, and Moses of whom could endure the challenges they would face, while standing the test of time.  Each of them was faithful until death.  They were special in their own right with character traits that was necessary to do God’s bidding.  There was only one Billy, one Mary, and one Moses.

Mother Teresa was a great humanitarian, nun and missionary.  One of her quotes is this:  “Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.”

When God saves a person’s soul from sin, He expects them to stand with their feet firmly planted in a place where they are needed.  Differing personalities and talents are used by God to bring about positive results in His perfect plan for lost souls.

(Romans 12:1)  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” 

“God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.”—Mother Teresa

Yes, God uses people like you and me to work in His harvest fields where hopelessness and despair abide.  We are special to Him just as those needing a Savior are special.

God wants us to be our self, not someone else.  Each of us will touch others in ways like no one else can.  God uses our qualities and individuality to spread the “Good News” that Jesus Christ is Lord and that in Him there is forgiveness of sin and newness of life.

This is exactly what Evangelist David Wilkerson did when he felt strongly that God was calling him to the streets of New York City where crime and mayhem were widespread.  David’s compelling desire to testify to gang members that Jesus Christ could give them hope and new purpose in living was met with defiance from Nicky Cruz, the leader of a gang called, the Mau Maus—the Dragons.

Cruz exclaimed, “You come near me and I’ll kill you!”  David replied, “Yeah, you could do that.  You could cut me up into a thousand pieces and lay them in the street, and every piece will still love you.”

God miraculously touched Nicky Cruz.  He, like his protégé, David Wilkerson, expressed the same desire to bring hope, peace, and joy to others.  He accepted a position as director of Teen Challenge that Wilkerson established.

In that David Wilkerson obeyed God and went to New York City, Nicky Cruz was born-again, touching countless lives for Christ.  David or Nicky was not Moses or Billy Graham, but they stood in the gap where they were needed and did the work that God called them to do.

Wilkerson told the story in, “The Cross and the Switchblade” the book he wrote of his experiences.  We all have our stories to tell, but it is the same God that brings the increase of souls into His family through our faithfulness in witnessing about Jesus Christ.

God desires that we show love and servant-hood to those lacking hope, needing a Savior, just as Jesus did when He walked the earth.  It is much easier to live our faith around other Christians, but in the real world where the rubber hits the road, it is more difficult to keep the right attitude when personal feelings are strained and tested to the breaking point.

It is important to remain examples of God’s love and strive to retain the mind of Christ by showing His attributes in our quest to do God’s work.  People are watching and listening to everything Christians say and do.  One’s demeanor will repel or draw them to the Lord.

I remember my sister telling me the importance of not showing negative feelings in the presence of others, even though I may be going through a spiritual battle of my own.  I had just been saved and elected to the position of youth president at the church I attended.  Her counsel has stuck with me through the years.

Words and actions can lift up or tear down another person.  A leader needs to maintain a smile without complaining.  Another quote from Mother Teresa is this:  “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

You may say, “I’m not a leader and have no desire of becoming one.”  I understand there are different personalities that make up our populace.  Some are outgoing, while others are inward and non confrontational. 

What ever personality is yours, God wants you to be yourself and not someone else.  We are unique to Him and personable in our own right.  I believe that everyone that becomes a Christian is a leader.  Some share their faith openly, while others allow Christ to show through them.

We need not compare ourselves to any other Christian… just be yourself and let God do His work through you as He sees fit.  There is only one you and one me.  God just wants us to be willing to stand in the gap where our personality and talents are needed.  He will do the rest through us.

(Philippians 4:13)  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

(Zechariah 4:6)  “… Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

God gives us the courage and where-with-all to get the job done in a manner that is pleasing to Him.  He brings the increase. We cannot save a person’s soul, but God’s Spirit draws sinners to Himself through our witness, verbally or living the life in such a way that others see our good works.

Being ourselves, while standing in God’s strength and love, gives us a good moral center that depicts kindness, ultimately putting Christ at the center of everything.

Do people see Christ in you or do they see a reflection of themselves—nothing different…

Written by,
Papa Boyd