What Do You Have?

For if there be first a willing mind,

it is accepted according to that a man hath,

and not according to that he hath not.

II Corinthians 8:12

There have been times when people within the care facility that I teach at have asked "Why am I still alive? What good am I to anyone?" These are some of the saddest words that I have ever heard. To come to the point where you believe that there is no reason to live and that you have nothing worth giving is like being trapped in your own tomb before death. I know because I have been in that place myself.

Not only is this despair unnecessary but the amazing truth is that God often specifically chooses these kinds of people to have a prominent part in his workings in this world:

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.

I Corinthians 1:27-29

I have also met people in the care facility who can barely speak and are bedridden and yet have a smile on their face and have been an inspiration and a blessing to me and to others.

I heard a pastor once say "God is not so much interested in your ability as he is in your availability." It was well said. This brings us back to the verse at the top of the page. There must be "first a willing mind". In other words, there must be a willingness to lay down our life before God and say to him "Use me and whatever I have however you wish". When a saved man or woman, boy or girl takes this simple step, God will accept whatever they have and use it in wonderful ways for his glory and for the blessing of others. he is totally unconcerned with what we don't have and therefore we should have no concern for this either.

Now, let's look to the scriptures for examples of how God uses the limited things of man in unlimited ways:

A young boy only had a very small amount of food, but when put in Jesus' hands about 5,000 men were fed by it, and they even had leftovers!

There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

John 6:9

When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

John 6:12-13

A poor widow had almost no money, but she gave what she had:

And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all: For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.

Luke 21:2

A shephard boy named David had no military experience, but he had a sling and stones:

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

I Samuel 17:50

At the end of his life, the Apostle Paul had no ability to travel to churches, but he could write to them. He wrote the letters of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon during this time. These letters became part of the Bible which has been read by more people than any other book in the history of the world.

Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.

II Timothy 2:9

What do you have?