Do you always feel frustrated and discouraged? Do you regard yourself as a nobody who can't alter the reality when hardship or a great challenge comes?
In the Bible, there are plentiful of inspiring messages and promises.
In the 2016 Chinese and Korean Revival Conference held in the end of September, Rev. Liu Qunmao, the senior pastor of Shilin Bread of Life Church of Taiwan, shared the famous story of "Gideon's Three Hundred Men".
Citing Judges 6:11-15, he urges Christians who consider themselves as unknown, normal and powerless to see themselves and people around them in the eyes of God and to declare that God uses many normal people and you're a mighty warrior as long as you have faith.
Look at the story that God raised up Gideon and chose only three hundred warriors. They defeated the Midianites.
They were just ordinary people. People usually think that the man to save the Israelites must be mighty. But Gideon showed little leadership when God called him the first time: he had no faith and said negative words, seeming timid. He was the last one to be a leader. The only possible reason why God chose him may be that he wanted to be used. Though he feared to do the things God commanded him, he did them.
So do we. Most of us have little faith. Walking on the path of faith, we always struggle or grudge following the path and sometimes our faith falls into a valley.
Rev. Liu told his own story that God called him to be a preacher when he was about to study computer science in U.S. decades ago. At that time the phrase "poor preachers" was popular in Taiwan. Struggling and hesitating, he decided to obey God.
In men's eyes, Gideon was inappropriate. But God said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." Words have power and authority. They shape your future.Speeches that are positive and helpful for building others up inspire people. God's positive words opened his heart that he saw that he could do great things by relying on God. God's words transformed his life. God tells us that his words can change our lives despite that we're weak, poor or tiny like Gideon.
Liu gave an example of a couple in his church. The husband took drugs and drank alcohol in the past while the wife kept tolerance and waiting for his repentance. But nothing changed after two decades. Hopeless, she requested the divorce. Later they were invited to the church and then converted. Since then, their marriage started to change and went upward.
God changed the used-to-be-desperate family. The couple became missionaries and take care the children of Taiwanese aborigines in villages. These children receive little care from their parents. Without others' care, the girls will be prostitutes and the boys hooligans. They had no hope in the past, but they began to do homework carefully and achieve higher scores. Once the couple took them to a poorer place. Touched by the children living in a more financially disadvantaged condition, they raised a walking fund-raising campaign to help the more pitiful children. As a result, a Taiwan TV station reported them because it was moved by that the poor children raised money for those who were poorer.
The husband of the couple used to be a drug addict and drunkard and was regarded as the dross and dirt in society. Feeling inferior and useless, he couldn't raise the head while walking. However, he holds up his head and is well respected. Children hug him and their parents respect him because he had done many beautiful things for them.
God's word is able to change your life. Wherever you are or how much disappointed you are about yourself, return to God who raised your head up.
Besides, he gives his testimony, citing 1 Samuel 2:8. His family has seven children and he is the youngest. During the childhood, his youngest brother bullied him and his eldest sister is eighteen years older than him. He once asked his mother in tears why he was born. Feeling ugly and inferior, he did everything with timidity and diffidence.He never imagined that he would preach sermons on the stage and discuss with the leaders of Taiwan during the meal.
But God's word changed his life and brought him into abundance, glory, and honor.He says that he has seen many people whose lives are transformed by God's word in the past over three decades.
So learn to speak God's word and see yourself and people from the perspective of God.There is nothing God cannot do. Tell yourself and people around you with faith: you're a mighty warrior!
