Being Used by God
Being Used by God
He has made major mistakes in his life. Some of those mistakes have
produced serious pain and sorrow in those who love him. At one point he
did not know if his life was worth living. He was on the verge of
destruction. He surrendered his life to God. Now he has purpose and
direction. He has experienced God's grace and is actively sharing a
message of hope. He is being used by God.
She has taught elementary school for over twenty years. When she gets
home she sometimes forgets to stop using her teacher voice when she
speaks to her husband and her own children. There are times she wonders
if she is making a difference. One day a little boy came up to her desk
after school and told her his mother was very sick. She put down her
pen and papers and held him in her arms. She is being used by God.
He works for a major corporation. Most days he feels fairly
insignificant and unappreciated. One day he noticed a coworker seemed
low-spirited so he invited him to lunch. He listened to the story of a
broken home, a broken heart and shattered dreams. He offered a few
words of comfort, but mostly he listened. He is being used by God.
She is young and inexperienced in the ways of ministry, but she loves
the Lord. She wants to make a difference. She spent the summer in a
strange town, living with a strange family, meeting new people, making
new friends, teaching God's Word, and demonstrating the Godly life. She
made a difference. She is being used by God.
He is getting older. His health is failing. He cannot do all that he
once did. He welcomes visitors. He gives a friendly smile. He
encourages. He prays. He uses his gifts for the Lord. He wants to do
more. He is being used by God.
She doesn't drive at night and there are some days when her arthritis
makes it difficult to move. But, she prays for her family, her friends,
and for her church. She often sends cards of encouragement and notes
that are timely and sweet. She is being used by God.
He is not old enough to drive. He is not yet into
dating. He's a teenager and trying to find his way with the Lord. There
are times when he is confused and frustrated with life. He traveled to
a foreign country to help those who needed his help. He is being used
by God.
He is a young man with lots of potential. He is searching to find his
place in the world. There are times when he struggles with the
difference between what could be and what is. He tries to keep his
hopes alive. During the summer he has invested himself in the lives of
young children. They look up to him. They admire him. He has changed
them by his presence in their lives. He is being used by God.
God may never call us to preach to the masses. He may never lead us to
a foreign mission field. But, He will work in us and through us to
minister to those in need. He will if we will allow ourselves to be
used by God. "I tell you the truth, anyone who gives a cup of cold
water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose
his reward" (Mark 9:41, NIV)
Let Him use you!
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What Children Say About Heaven:
Mom, God's so neat, and heaven's supposed to be so great. Could me and
Gloria go there Saturday for a sleep-over?
Our seven-year-old daughter, Clarisa, was not really excited about going to
Sunday school, but her little friend talked her into it. After the first
class, at lunch she said, "I like my teacher, and she said if I
come to Sunday school every Sunday, she'll show me how I can get a free trip
to heaven."
My three-year-old granddaughter, Morgan, came over one day and looked around
the room and asked, "Where's Grandpa?"
I answered, "He's in heaven."
Surprised, she looked at me and said, "Still?"
I know what heaven is like, because I was there. God makes people when He
thinks of them, and then they wait to be born.
Our six-year-old, Rachel, prayed, "God, they keep telling us You love us
kids. But I'm wondering: If You know my older brother, do You think he'll
ever get to heaven?"
Grandma's gone to heaven, and she'll be happy there, because there's a Dairy
Queen everywhere. Right?
When Jenny was four, she asked, "Does heaven have a floor?"
Surprised, I said, "Well, Jenny, what do you think heaven is like?"
She looked up at the sky and clouds and replied, "Well, I can't see any
floor, so I guess people are just up there on coat hangers!"
I told nine-year-old Heather that someday we would have glorified bodies.
She asked, "Do you think we'll look like Barbie?"
One day my five-year-old grandson, Brett, who frequently went fishing with
his dad, told his mother, "If Grandma's going to heaven with us, God had
better have a pretty big fishing rod to haul her in!"
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WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE?
A sick man turned to his doctor as he was leaving the room after paying a
visit, and said, "Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what lies on the other
side."
Very quietly the doctor said, "I don't know."
"You don't know?! You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other side?"
The doctor was holding the handle of the door. On the other side came a
sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door a dog sprang into
the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, "Did you notice that dog? He had
never been in this room before. He did not know what was inside. He knew
nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened
he sprang in without fear.
I know little of what is on the other side of death, but I do know one
thing: I know my Master is there, and that
is enough. And when the door opens, I shall pass through with no fear, but
with gladness."
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