Some Good News

When I go to a church for the first time, it’s always interesting. During the last year, I was asked to speak at a church where I had never spoken before. Our contact with this church is through some members we know socially. This church has quite a variety of people attending; I was impressed. The pastor of the church asked if I would speak on a specific topic, “Using our spiritual gifts”, which I did.

In my sermon I said, if we are believers, we have a spiritual gift and God uses people of all ages and talents. He uses what the world would call insignificant people. One example of insignificant people is the servant girl to King Naaman’s wife; she was unnamed. She encourages Naaman to see a prophet in Samaria so he could be healed. 2 Kings 5:2-5: Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied.” King Naaman listened to the servant girl and he was healed by God.

Sometimes we view the use of spiritual gifts as gifts used by only the people in the front of the church—the pastor, worship leaders, praise team, elders and deacons, board members, etc. as using their spiritual gifts. Not so. If you’re wiping the nose of a little child in the nursery, you’re being used by God. Oh, the Body may never “see” your work and dedication but God does; for just as He notices the nameless servant girl of Naaman, He notices your work and dedication. (“Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me.”)

As I spoke, I noticed a woman sitting in the back off to the side; she listened intently to my sermon. As she turned her head, I could see tears in her eyes. We talked after the service; she was a first time worshipper at the church and this is what she told me. She said: “If you knew my past, God wouldn’t use me.” I reassured her that God has always used men and women “with a past” to carry His message of hope to a hurting world. Romans 3:22-24: This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.


God uses flawed, sinful, cracked-pot people like us to further His kingdom. Through the blood of Christ, He forgives our sins. Psalm 103:12 says: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” He uses humble, forgiven people to further His kingdom.

Paul wanted to know the power of Jesus resurrection (Phil. 3:10: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death ) Do you want to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection? Has your life been transformed by the power of Christ’s resurrection? Yes, God uses forgiven, transformed, insignificant people (insignificant in the world’s eyes) to further His kingdom. Hold up your head. Move forward. Put on your armor (Eph. 6). Go to battle. You are a child of The King not a king. THE King, Lord God Almighty.