9/9/2020 – Pastor Brian’s Blog –
Today we live in a time when impressive resumes can open doors of opportunity for you. A good resume can get people to listen to you, it will get you a great following on social media. Many people listen to and base many of their daily decisions on Dr. Anthony Fauci’s resume. People sign contracts for tens of millions of dollars or get elected to a political office based on their resume. I have ridden in a Rolls Royce, but just mention the name and people ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ because of the reputation or resume it has created.
When it comes to serving God, does the resume matter? Well let’s take a look… Nehemiah’s resume to travel 800 miles to a country he had never seen, and rebuild walls that he had no experience building…
O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man. I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 1:11
If you are not aware what a cupbearer did, they ate the food before the king ate it to make sure that it was not poisoned. Not a lot of talent there!
David’s résumé to kill Goliath…
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
1 Samuel 17:36
Paul’s résumé, who wrote more of the Bible than any one author…
Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst.
1 Timothy 1:15
Peter, who Jesus said would build his church, had a résumé…
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
Matthew 4:18
D. L. Moody’s who not only influenced the world for Christ while he lived, but continues to influence the world after his death, resume… Moody was a shoe salesman when his Sunday School teacher led him to Christ. Only an 8th grade education, he was never ordained, never had any formal Bible College or Seminary training.
C.T. Studd who influenced 4 continents for Christ, resume… Studd was a skilled cricket player, known throughout England, and because of his skills became famous. He would give up his cricket career to become a missionary to China, become part of the Cambridge Seven, and later was responsible for setting up the Heart of Africa Mission.
Oswald Chambers résumé is impressive. Chambers studied at the National Art Training School, then continued his study of art at the University of Edinburgh. He then left for Dunoon College, a small theological training school near Glasgow. His sermon notes would become known around the world as the devotional “My Upmost for His Highest.”
William Borden resume is even more impressive. He was born into a prominent and very wealthy Chicago family. After graduating from high school at age 16, his parents gave him the gift of a chaperoned trip around the world. Upon his return Borden entered Yale University in 1905. While at Yale, Borden was elected president of Phi Beta Kappa and was active in several collegiate sports, especially wrestling and crew. He also became the master of his own sailing yacht.
After graduating from Yale in 1909, Borden attended Princeton Theological Seminary graduating in 1912. Borden became a board member of the National Bible Institute in New York City and oversaw the operations of four rescue missions. William Borden also became a director of Moody Bible Institute and, at age 22, a member of the North American Council of the China Inland Mission. Studying Islam and Arabic in Cairo preparing to minister to the Muslims in China, William Borden contracted cerebral meningitis and died a few weeks later, at the age of 25. Upon his death, Borden bequeathed $800,000 to the China Inland Mission and other Christian agencies.
Resumes that range from a cupbearer to a millionaire, from a shoe salesman to a man who was skilled in cricket, from the worst of sinners to a man that would help build the church, from men of great education to men with very little, from men with great personalities to men that had lesser personalities, but had their sermons put into a devotional. Vastly different résumés but men (and we could add many women too!) that were used by God.
Maybe you are thinking, how does that happen? Could God do this with me to change my world of influence? He absolutely could! You might not have experienced a chaperoned trip around the world for your high school graduation, but I bet you have more than an 8th grade graduation. You may never have preached a sermon, but my guess would be that you know how to fish. You may have never left this country to visit a foreign continent, but my guess would be that you have more than 5 stones and a slingshot!
Yes, God uses all kinds of people with all kinds of resumes. To be used by God is not based on the length of your resume that you bring to Him. The key to being used of God is giving Him your resume and everything else that comes with it. Every experience you have had in life, God wants to use to prepare you for the work He has planned for you to do. Every talent and spiritual gift God has blessed you with, is to help you change your world of influence.
So don’t compare your résumé with others, just live your life as God designed it. Nothing good comes out of comparing yourself to others. God does not judge you by what others have, God will only judge you by what He has given you.
Your standard of faithfulness will not be judged by what God has done with and through others. His standard of faithfulness is what you allow God to do in and through you. Remember, God has equipped you and prepared you for the work He has for you to do. Oswald Chambers said,
“We are not sent to battle for God, but to be used by God in His battles.”
Oswald Chambers
You may not be a D. L. Moody or a William Borden but know this… God has prepared you for such a time as this…
