Creator, Father, King #309

We exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

ON JUNE 4, 2002, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Brandon Mann in the twenty-seventh round of Major League Baseball’s amateur draft. It was a great day for the eighteen-year-old.

That day, though, was not nearly as historic as May 13, 2018, when Mann (then thirty-three) finally made his major league debut with the Texas Rangers after spending seventeen seasons—seventeen!—in the minor leagues and Japan. Talk about perseverance!

For every Brandon Mann success story, there are thousands of other minor league prospects who never get called up to the big leagues. They just aren’t good enough.

Have you ever felt like that in your spiritual life? Maybe you have never committed your life to Christ, thinking, I’m just not good enough for God yet. Or maybe you are already a Christian, but you feel stuck on the sidelines, thinking, How can I be of any serious use in God’s Kingdom? I’m not good enough yet for him to use me.

Either way, today’s devotion is for you.

What’s It Mean?

Today’s verse talks about walking “in a manner worthy of God.” But perhaps this seems out of reach if you identify with one of the categories described above.

First, remember that you can’t become “worthy of God” through your own inherent goodness or efforts. As a sinner deserving God’s eternal wrath, you can never be “good enough” to earn God’s favor yourself. Praise the Lord that he takes the initiative and “calls you into his own kingdom and glory” through his Son! Jesus was “good enough” for you. His righteousness is yours forever through faith in his substitutionary death on your behalf.

If you are a believer who doesn’t feel good enough to be used by God, these are accusatory lies from the devil. Don’t believe them!

God “created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10). He will “equip you with all you need for doing his will” (Hebrews 13:21).

No, you’re not worthy of God on your own. But he gloriously makes you worthy through Christ!

Now What?

Read Colossians 1:9-14, which talks about walking “in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (verse 10, ESV). Pay particular attention to who initiates the action. (Hint: it’s not you!)

Did You Know?

Mann pitched in seven games for the 2018 Rangers, struggling to a 5.40 earned-run average. He played in Japan in 2019.