Verse: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
Thoughts
Do you ever feel like you don't have what it takes to minister to other people? To talk to them about Jesus, or pray for them, or help them in some way? Do you ever feel like you don't really have your life together, so how can you really do anything for someone else? Or that you don't know the Bible well enough? Or that "someone else" could do it better?
This verse is so encouraging for us, isn't it? Paul here says that when he went to minister to this church in Corinth in "weakness with great fear and trembling." Really? Can you imagine Paul that way? Isn't that a good description of us?
The other day I was at an ice cream store and I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me to pay for the people in front of me. I started sweating instantly and got super nervous. I did it - but it wasn't easy. I stammered a little and was clearly embarrassed. But God can use that!
God can use weake people who have great fear! He can use people who aren't going to speak "wise and persuasive words"! See this whole passage is about God, not us. Paul says what he did come with was God's power.
If we are willing - to share our faith, to pray for people, to serve people - God will do the rest. It's on him to change lives. It's his power that restores broken hearts. It's his power that delivers people. The amazing thing is that God excels at using normal, even broken, people. That's you and me! God can use you. You just have to be willing.
Prayer
I pray for open doors and courage to love and serve others!