One of reasons many people don’t go into ministry is that they don’t want the responsibility and accountability that comes with using their gifts to serve God. They don’t want to be accountable to God.
They should be so lucky.
Noah was an ordinary man or so he thought, as he reflected over his latest conversation with God. He had been through an amazing 600 years. First, at the age of 500, God spoke to him to tell him to build a big boat. As crazy as that might have sounded, the reason was that God was sorry that he created humans and had decided to kill everyone except Noah and his family. Noah was told to build a big boat and load it with 2 of everything. He loaded everyone into that ark like a mini-van crammed full for a family vacation. (Feeling the pressure yet?) Then the rain came. Sure enough, everyone and everything died and Noah had to spend over a year locked inside the boat with all these stinking animals. Finally they get out of the boat. Noah looks around. Noah and his family are the only people left on earth. Talk about pressure. Then, God gave him his mission. “Multiply and fill the earth. I have placed all of the animals under your power and you can use them for food. Now, go and repopulate the earth!”
Did God ever tell you to go populate the earth? More than likely, the pressure was great for Noah. Noah sometimes let the pressure of his mission affect him. One of those times, he got drunk on some homemade wine and passed out naked in his tent. While he was passed out, his youngest son came in and saw him naked. When Noah woke out of his drunken stupor and found out what his son had done, he cursed him. Instead of being ashamed of getting drunk and passing out, Noah accused his son and cursed him. (I actually feel sorry for his son. Imagine seeing a 600 year old man naked!)
The evil that had existed when God decided to flood the earth was present in Noah. But, as usual, God used a normal, sinful person to do His work. God gave Noah gifts that he used to serve God. Drunken stupor and all.
God can use you if you let Him. God gave each of us gifts that we can and should use to serve him. All we have to do is to identify what our gifts are and then tell God that you are ready and willing to use your gifts to serve Him. God will use you if you are willing.
Think I made up that story about Noah? You can read it in Genesis 6-9.
(Thank you to my wife Patti for giving me the idea for this post!)