He Called Me Worthy

                He counted me worthy. Most of us do not look at ourselves as worthy. Most of us instead see our worthlessness before our worthy God and know that there is nothing is us that would qualify us as worthy. Lately, the Lord has been showing me the next step in my walk. The next step He wants me to take in regards to ministry. For me, this has been scary. I know me, I know how I can be, and for the Lord to say to me that this is the way He wants me to go, makes me step back and make sure He knows He is talking to me.

   One of my favorite passages of scripture is in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance; that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.” Many years ago, the Lord showed me this passage of scripture and I related to it in so many ways. Today, He took me back to this scripture and showed me that even though I see myself as unworthy, unusable in the ministry He is calling me to- that’s not how He sees me. I see myself as the “chief” of sinners. I know that I am constantly walking in disobedience. I know that I do not give Him all of me that He is asking for. I know that my thoughts are not always where He would like them to be. I know me- trust me, I am not that great of a person! In fact, still to this day I can say with all truth and honesty that I am still the “Chief” of sinners.

                But then, He looks at me and says, “But I see you as worthy.” How is that possible? How can our Holy, Righteous, All Mighty, All Knowing, All Seeing God look at us and think us worthy? Because our worthiness does not generate from us, it generates from Him who lives in us- because He who is worthy lives on the inside of us. This ministry that the Lord is preparing me for is not mine, nor is it something I would have thought He would ask of me. But in a sense, in all honesty and realness- I knew deep down many years ago that He was preparing me for this ministry. I knew it, I sensed it, but I was not ready to receive it. He had to strengthen me and get me to the place in my life where I could be ready to receive it.

                We are not at this place in our lives by chance or circumstance. We have been directed and led by the Holy Spirit to place us strategically in the very spot we are. We are where we are because He has placed us here. I am sitting writing this blog because He has directed me to be right here at this exact moment, writing these exact words. Not because of anything that I have done, not because of anything that I have said, but because He has counted me worthy.

                “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” 1 Timothy 1:12

                He has enabled us to be where we are at this point in our lives. He has strengthened us from the

inside out to do the works that He has prepared for us. Much like Paul, I see myself as a worthless sinner who has no right to any of the favor or mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. But it’s not about how I see myself; it is about how He sees me. And He sees me and He sees you as worthy of the calling He has placed on your life. He not only has called you worthy, but He has given you the strength in your soul needed to do the work to which He is calling you.  “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

                Not only does He strengthen us from the inside out, but He looks at us and says “I think you are worthy.” He thinks so highly of us that He has called us to be His children. He has looked on you and me and said, “I think you are worthy.” He thinks so highly of us that He has given us the privilege to serve Him, and to be His forever. You are worthy of the calling that He has placed on your life. He does not look at you as a sinful man or woman but as a perfect vessel fit for the ministry He is preparing you for. He thinks about you, and He sees you as worthy.

                He has given us an inward strength and purpose to fulfill the calling upon our lives. He has given us gifts and talents, and to top that off, He has given us His Holy Spirit to accomplish the work He has set before us! Not because of what we have done, but because He thought us worthy. He thought well enough of us to call us faithful. Paul says that He counted him faithful. He counts us faithful as well. He looks at us and says, “There is my faithful, worthy child, whom I love with all that I am, all that I have and all that I will ever be.” Our God looks at us and says, “Child, you are worthy because I have called you worthy.”

                He has placed you where you are for a purpose and a reason. You have been strategically placed in life to fulfill the purpose and the calling He has designed especially for you. You may be asking yourself “What is my ministry?” Maybe you know- maybe you don’t. Look around you. What do you see? Do you see your children, your husband, your parents, your brothers and sisters in Christ? Step outside your door, what about your neighbors, or that elderly lady down the street that you see walking to the grocery store each week. Look around you- that is the ministry to which He has called you and said you are worthy enough to serve Him there.

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                Ministry doesn’t have to be grand or titled. Ministry is where we are. We have been called worthy to serve Him. He has looked upon us and said “I have made you worthy”. All things are possible, we can accomplish all that He has called us to do because He has given us the strength to do it, and placed us in the exact place we need to be to fulfill it! You are worthy. You might think that you are worthless, a sinner who has no right to ask God for anything. You may be questioning where exactly it is the Lord wants you to serve Him. Perhaps you are wondering whether or not you are useable for Him. Whatever it is, we must step out of this sense of unworthiness and into the worthiness that He has placed in each one of us.

             He has called you worthy. You are worthy. We must become “confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6) He has called you worthy to serve Him, to share Him, to show forth the manifold wisdom of His grace and love. He has called you worthy.

                Father it is my prayer today that we would step out of the rags of unworthiness and see the worthiness that You have placed in us. Father, You have given us the strength we need to fulfill the task at hand. You have counted us worthy to minister to those around us. You have placed us strategically in the lives of others and have counted us worthy to serve You right where we are. Father, it is my prayer today that we, as Your people, would come out of the shadows and into the marvelous light, not because we have done the work, but because You have done all that needs to be done and called us worthy to be Yours. In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen.