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:
- 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:
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 sixteen-year-old Callie and fourteen-year-old Elias.
(1) Phillips Brooks – all sermons
and quotes available online at The Project Gutenberg Ebook.
