Beyond Abilities
By Elin Henderson
“For I bear witness
that according to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were
freely willing.”
2 Corinthians 8:3
(NKJV)
How
often we measure our life and our accomplishments past, present and future by our
abilities. We look at our measure of strength and from that, we say “I’ll take
that job, it falls within my list of abilities, but that one there is a little
too beyond me.” In my life and ministry here in Mozambique, the Lord is constantly
reminding me to be open to be used beyond my abilities. I am not a teacher, but
am called to homeschool my kids with minimal resources and minimal ability/knowledge.
My language skill is low, but I’m called to speak into the lives of the people
around me and teach literacy classes, stretching far beyond my abilities. On
and on the list goes.
In
your life, I am sure you can find similar circumstances occurring. God’s power
is unleashed into our lives when we are “freely willing,” like the Macedonians
Paul was speaking of here, to be used beyond our abilities! Then, we truly
experience that for which we have been created; to be used of Him and allowing
Him to live His life and purposes out through us with an unexplainable strength.
One
of my favorite preachers of old is Phillips Brooks. He was ministering in the US
around the time of Abraham Lincoln and has a quote that I keep close by to
remind myself to be available “beyond my abilities.”
“Do not pray for
easier lives; pray to become stronger men.
Do not pray for tasks
equal to your powers;
Pray for powers equal to your tasks.
Pray for powers equal to your tasks.
Then your life shall
be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle.
Each day you shall
wonder at that which is wrought in you
by the Grace of God.” (1)
by the Grace of God.” (1)
May
your life be a testimony and miracle of the impossible as you freely and
willingly go beyond your abilities by His strength!
GOING DEEPER:
1.
If you were to make a list of your abilities, what would it look like? How
about the things that are beyond your abilities? Do you feel the Lord calling
you to any of those areas? Today, “pray for powers equal to your tasks, not
tasks equal to your powers.”
FURTHER READING:
(1)
Phillips Brooks – all sermons and quotes available online at The Project
Gutenberg Ebook.
Oakwood’s
missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as
church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique,
Africa.
Elin is mother to thirteen-year-old Callie and ten-year-old Elias. They
are currently in America
on Home Assignment.
