Hebrews 13:5-6 "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
One of the most detrimental statements that anyone can make would be, "I
can't do that." Now we all know there are times when that statement
is necessary. It is very appropriate to say those words when we are encouraged
to do something that we know is contrary to God's will. But when we feel the
Lord is leading us to follow Him, we should never say that we cannot do
it. It is my understanding that the ability has already been given when
the Lord calls us into His service, at whatever level that might be.
On the opposite end of that spectrum, we should never enter into the Lord's
service merely for the purpose of our own gain. When I speak of the Lord
calling us into His service, I'm not simply speaking of preaching or pastoring
a church. The Lord calls His people into service on many different levels of
opportunity. He may speak to your heart to pick up the phone and make a
phone call to check on someone, or to stop by and make even a quick visit to
someone. He may place on your heart the urgent need for prayer for another
person. He may give you the gift of music or prayer. He may give you the gift
of exhortation. We no longer hear that term very much. The gift of exhortation
is the ability to encourage others in the Word of God. God's gift of
service is never to draw attention to ourselves; rather, it is to point others
toward the grace and glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Never say, "I can't," whenever the Lord gives you the opportunity of
serving Him. The next words that might be spoken at that given opportunity
might be in the form of a question: "How can I do that?" Ahh,
the writer of Hebrews tells us in two steps: 1) The Lord is with me and will
never leave me. 2) The Lord will help me. The Apostle Paul wrote in the
book of Philippians, "I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13)
Quite honestly, that takes all excuses out of the way of hindering us from
serving the Lord. This saying is not original with me and I do not know
who to give credit: "The Lord does not call the qualified; rather,
He qualifies those He calls." Go boldly when the Lord places on your
heart to do something. Do not be afraid of what others might think or say.
Follow the leadership of the Almighty God and He will bless you beyond measure.