“Now may the God of peace… make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Heb. 13:20a-21 NKJV
When my mother was a young woman, she aspired to be a missionary (pictured above). Being highly gifted, her love for the Lord and desire to teach and help others led her into the nursing and then education fields. Nevertheless, we had countless conversations about her daughter the pastor’s wife whose marriage and ministry has allowed me to travel all over the world.
Through the years, during these times of sharing, my mother would often ask, “Do you think I’d have made a good pastor’s wife?” My answer was always the same, “Mommy, God empowers you for what He calls you to do.” She’d usually ask me this after I shared something she found too far outside of her comfort zone, challenging, or downright unpleasant. Sometimes I’d chuckle and say, “It’s part of the package, Mom. It comes with the territory. God gives you grace for what you have to face.”
My mother was incredibly proud of me. She stayed in a state of perpetual awe and amazement because I was her quiet, shy, introverted, middle child. Seeing how the Lord transformed my life has been nothing short of miraculous.
Whether loud and rowdy or quiet and reserved, God’s work of transformation is always miraculous. “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” 1 Cor. 1:26-29 NLT
While I’m certainly not as shy as I used to be, I’m still quiet, introverted, and the middle child. You see, God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called. God doesn’t choose us based on our ability, but our availability.
Not all of us married men already in ministry. Therefore, being a pastor’s wife wasn’t part of your plan. Some of us can readily rattle off reasons why we didn’t want to be a pastor’s wife. We all bring our temperament, strengths, and weaknesses to the proverbial table. You may not feel as qualified as the former first lady or others that you know.
Leah was thought to be unattractive. Rahab was a prostitute. Naomi was a widow. Martha worried about everything. Mary Magdalene was demon possessed. The Samaritan woman was divorced… more than once… God used every one of these women, and He uses you.
We may be able to list our limitations, but we serve a great big God who delights to display His power and glory through our lives. As a matter of fact, His power works best in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
Beloved, as we embark upon a new year, let’s avail ourselves to be used by God like never before; ordinary women serving an extraordinary God!