Weak Vessels

Weak Vessels

Read: Matthew 11:25-26

“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”

Matthew 11:25-26

“It will do us good to be very empty, to be very weak, and so to go about our Master’s work.”

—Charles Spurgeon

IN WORD God’s ways are not our ways. If we were sending the gospel into the world, we probably would have aimed at the most influential people, the ones most likely to impress others with their intellectual capabilities, oratory gifts, and social skills. But Jesus chose a ragtag team of disciples, some uneducated, some marginalized by society. And throughout the ages, He has revealed Himself more readily to little children than to spiritual experts. Why?

God’s purpose in the world is to reveal Himself—to be known and loved. When He works in the lives of the educated and skilled, observers often confuse the subtle power of God with the talents and gifts of human beings. When He works in the lives of the unlikely, there can be no mistake: The work is of God. Then He is recognized.

This is true not only in salvation. We who serve God in our churches and communities must also remember that God’s preference is to demonstrate His own gifts, not impress others with ours. Battles are won in His strength, not ours. Wisdom comes from above, not within. His power is perfected in our weakness. We are simply vessels. Without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).

IN DEED Our natural tendency is to work for God in the strength of the flesh. But the Christian life is not natural. It is supernatural. We must learn to recognize the persistent labor of the flesh and its interference in God’s plan. All things that are accomplished for God—whether salvation itself or the life that follows—are accomplished by His initiative and power through our dependence and faith.