Sunday Devotional With Mr. E: Strength

Artists will normally work in an area of strength. It is only natural.  If someone wanted to commission me to create a painting of their classic car...I'd probably have to turn them down.  That is not an area of strength for me.  Could I do it?  Yes.  Would it be an amazing work of art?  Probably not.  Could I improve?  Sure, I believe you can grow in most areas with practice.  However, if someone was commissioning me to do the work....they probably expect something amazing.  If I was asked to create a work for an upcoming show, I probably would not try something I'd never done before....UNLESS....I had the time to practice, fail, practice some more, fail some more...so on & so forth.  With the added pressure of being in upcoming show, an artist would most likely create from their strength so they are producing their best work.  I feel most artists are excited to try new things & aren't afraid to fail if they are given an opportunity to grow.  Growth takes time though. Developing a strength as an artist is a process.

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things- and the things that are not- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  1 Corinthians 1: 26-29

There is an almost cliche phrase in Christian circles..."God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called."  Things don't usually hit  "cliche" status without having some truth to them.  So often we think about all that we can do for God.  We look at our gifts & talents and believe we have something special He needs.  The truth is God wants our hearts.  We can have the most extensive training, talents beyond compare, and experiences that provide us with unprecedented skill sets, but it is a heart yielded to Him that will make the greatest difference in our world.  I'm not saying God won't use what you see as your strength, but we must humbly go to Him and seek His will/plan for our life.  Once upon a time, I was a shy & extremely insecure person.  I felt I could best serve God behind the scenes. Notice I said "I felt".  That was not God's plan for me.  He desired for me to be upfront. He wanted me to be an initiator of conversations & relationships.  He wanted me to place myself in situations where I could not hide or be comfortable.  Why?  Because He knew that is where I'd stop trusting in myself...and start trusting in Him.  Was/Am I great at it...no!  There are times I'd rather be comfortable.  There are times I'd rather do what is easiest for me.   Growth takes time.  Strength is a process. God gives us grace to grow.  God gives us grace to develop strength to fulfill what He has called us to do. We don't have to be perfect at it.  We don't have to be gallery ready.  We just have to be available & willing.