What an interesting bunch those apostles were. If I were Jesus, I would have been much more selective when I had to choose who to leave the work (world) to. Uneducated, impulsive, ‘slow on the uptake’, competitive, proud, stubborn, and confused are just a few words that could describe that early bunch. How many times did Jesus raise his eyes to heaven and state…..’they just don’t get it’. And yet, the God of infinite wisdom chose them……and yet, each day, that very same God chooses us. Are we any better?
So then, what is really expected? I ask myself these questions:
Does he expect perfection? No, he knows better
Does he expect us to never question, never doubt? No, he knows better
Does he expect us to sometimes forget about him? Of course he does
Does he expect us to try to ‘do it ourselves, without him? Of course he does
He knows us, remember? Better than we know ourselves, because we tend to answer those questions differently and then get discouraged when we fall short. So then, what does he expect….or rather, what does he invite us to do?
He invites us to take his hand when we fall so that he can help us up again.
He invites us to trust, when we feel as though there is nothing out there.
He invites us to have faith, in the silent, in the invisible, in the seemingly nothingless
He invites us to love…..because that is our fiber and being.
Did the apostles accept those invitations? Eventually, with some help from the Holy Spirit.
Will we accept those invitations?
Eventually, with some help from the Holy Spirit, is the answer for us all, I think.
There is such a theme of Advent expectancy, about what is waiting to be born in all of us, isn’t there? The apostles are such an inspiration to me because they were all so bumbly and slow to figure it out, perhaps most especially Peter!
What a reminder of God’s loving call being ever present in our lives. Thank you for such thoughts and prayers on a Monday.
Thank you Fran. I love the fact that we see ‘real’ personalities throughout the Bible, gives us great hope, doesn’t it?
There’s much comfort in His choices of them … and of us. It’s an invitation that I say a wholehearted ‘yes’ to.
Absolutely Susan! I love that you dive in with that ‘yes’
This is one of the reasons why I love being a Christian so much. Our faith doesn’t require us to be perfect independent from God, neither does it deny that somethings we do are actually negative (i.e. things that are hurtful towards oneself or others or God.) We trust in the One who is perfection, and we are renewed in Him.
(P.S. I have a new blog now on blogspot 🙂 )
Thanks Jade, I’ll check it out. Yes, we are loved…and that is the Good News!
Well done, again. 🙂
Thank you Richard, that means a lot coming from you
You say it soo well Andie!
Praise God that He loves us despite our kooky-ness and our bumbly-ness and our straight out flawed-ness
He uses all us crack pots…
for His glory, His purpose.
Yes If God was like us, He would choose none of us!
Praise God that He isn’t so picky!!!
:O)
Loves Ya Sista
Or……maybe his ‘eyesight’ isn’t that good. Maybe he doesn’t see the cracks….
oh andie, there is SUCH grace in your words. my soul is hungrily gobbling them up tonight. thank you.
Thank you for your very kind words…I need to do some ‘gobbling’ as well