26TH OCTOBER
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”
Do you feel inadequate to be an effective witness about your life with Jesus? That’s good!
One of the most important places to arrive at, as you learn to live the lifestyle of a witness, is the place where you accept your own inadequacy. It’s so ingrained in us that we should be sharing Christ with people around us that we feel a responsibility to say, “I need to do this. I can do this. I just need to try a little harder.”
Today’s passage says that we can have confidence not because of our own ability, but our sufficiency is from God, “Who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant!” It’s God’s Spirit who gives life.
Relax about being able to do this well. You know and God knows that you can’t. But you can still be a witness with confidence, because God’s Spirit will work even through your inadequacy. God doesn’t want your ability—he wants your availability! Then he will do the work.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
What kind of excuses do you make when an opportunity to share the Gospel arises? Do you tell yourself you don’t have the time? Do you tell yourself you will mess it up? Or that the person doesn’t want to hear what you have to say?