Why I Go

My Pastor read this passage during his sermon last night and it struck home with me in regards to my AMTC journey.

"Do not think in your heart, after the LORD your God has cast them out before you, saying, Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land; but it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out from before you. It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people." Deuteronomy 9:4-6

It is not because I think I have "talent" or that the world needs me because I am a great witness and example that I go unto the world.  I know I mess up like anyone else.  I know I've been stiff-necked.  No, I don't go for myself. I go because I know I am not enough.  Nor could I ever be. I go because the Lord has called me to, and He, being the Artist He is, will be able to paint a much more beautiful picture with me, His paintbrush, than I would ever be able to paint on my own.  So, as with a paint brush in the hand of the painter, where He directs, I will go.  I trust the colors He chooses to use in my life (analogy: the circumstances I go through) because He knows that in the end each of those colors will add something special to the painting, the finished product of my life.  Not one of those colors will be used unnecessarily or at the wrong time. I trust Jesus on that.  So I press on, I go, and He uses me.  Because, as the paintbrush, I do nothing more to make the painting beautiful than allow myself to be used.  And it's best that way.

"But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 1:27, 31

And so you see that I am weak on my own, thus, as it says in Romans 12:1, I "present my body a living sacrifice" to Christ so that He, through me, will be able to put down the sinful acts of the devil and show the way of salvation to many.

It is for Him I live.  My life is not my own, but His.  And I look forward to seeing the painting progress as He uses me to add one stroke at a time.

Until next time, I remain,
Alexis Noel