Romans 10:14 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”
Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'”
Quite possibly the scariest thing for me to do as a college student is share my faith. Not because I have trouble sharing the Gospel — it is beautiful to everyone who hears it, but because I think that I am not always a fit ambassador for calling other people to Christ. I mess up. I forget to pray. I neglect my duties to be His hands and feet. I cuss when I drop stuff or hit my head. I don't always do the right thing. I don't even do the right thing most of the time. But I'm trying. I know that God does not call the qualified; he qualifies the called. He transforms us from the inside out and sends us out to be who He created us to be.
Lord, I am praying that You will guide me since You have called me. You know my love for beautiful places and beautiful souls, and I know that You are bringing me closer to you the further I get from my comfort zone.
I know that You are not simply found in the remote places, in the beautiful places, in the places where people are poor and languages are strange. I know that You send me out each day to give your love the same way I would if I were in Africa or Central America. You desire that we see You in each other.
I know these things. I also know that You call me far away so you can speak to my heart and show me things I overlook at home. You have a lot in store for me, I know. I need to will my heart to be still and let You take the reins — even when it is scary for me to sit back and let You do all the choosing and all the planning. I will let You guide, and I will follow. I will proclaim Your Gospel, and when necessary, use words.
I've heard it over and over again: we are all called to be saints. But, Jesus, that's hard to believe when I mess up all the time. I can't possibly believe that I am called to be a saint when I am so easily angry, when I tell lies and brush off opportunities to be more like You. I don't feel fit to proclaim Your name sometimes. I don't feel like I am a good enough Christian to call others to You. But I have to trust that You will continue to make me new every day, that Your grace is enough to cover all my sins. So I will continue to listen for your call, and I will continue to wake up and try to be a better disciple than what I was yesterday.
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for me, to the ends of the earth? Who will rise up for the King? Here am I; send me…. How beautiful the feet of you who bring good news.”
I wanted to leave this with you all, because it is so good. From “My Utmost for His Highest” Devotional:
Discipleship is built entirely on the supernatural grace of God. Walking on water is easy to someone with impulsive boldness, but walking on dry land as a disciple of Jesus Christ is something altogether different. Peter walked on the water to go to Jesus, but he “followed Him at a distance” on dry land (Mark 14:54). We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises — human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live 24 hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God — but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people — and this is not learned in five minutes.
