John 7
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
We live in a world that places
a very high value on credentials. For example, in the field of medicine you
have M.D., DMD and RN, to name a few. Or in the field of social work you have
LSW and MSW. If you listed all of the degrees, licenses, certifications and
designations from all the possible career choices, it would fill reams of paper.
Indeed, initials before or
after a name gives a person instant credibility. However, that wasn’t the case
for Jesus. In fact, in John 7, he suffered from an incredible lack of
credibility. Very few people seemed to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
Some
discounted him because he was from Galilee; some because he wasn’t trained properly
by a rabbi; even his brothers doubted him because he was a carpenter trying to
be something better. All of them were trying to hold Jesus back from who he was
and whose he was.
But
Jesus didn’t see himself that way at all. Jesus didn’t let the crowds, the
Jewish power brokers or even his own brothers, influence how he viewed himself.
He knew that his Father in Heaven had sent him. He knew that his teaching was
from God, not man.
Jesus knew what his mission was.
16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from
God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will
know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. NLT
You
and I, as his followers, have been called by God to this same mission. To
spread the Gospel; to build the kingdom of Heaven; to share the good news.
It
doesn’t matter where you’re from, what training you’ve had or how others see you.
You are not defined by your job, your possessions, your family, where you live
or your accomplishments. No matter what your background, your struggles or your
weaknesses; God is calling you to serve in His kingdom.
So
here’s some questions for you to ask yourself. Do you hold Jesus back in your
life? If so, how? What are your credentials? What defines who you are and whose
you are? How can you participate in fulfilling God’s mission?
Ultimately,
Jesus’ credentials were that he was called by His Heavenly Father. Our
credentials? They’re the same.
(If
God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share the link
with others.)
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