George T. Wilkerson (North Carolina, USA)
Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! - Romans 7:24-25 (NIV)
For years I questioned whether I was any use to Christ because of my ongoing struggle with sin. The most discouraging times would happen during worship services. One minute I would be reading a Bible passage aloud, and the next I would be passing judgment on a brother who showed up late again. For a long time I felt ashamed.
I’ve since learned that I was also judging myself too harshly. In Romans 7:15-25, Paul described this inner battle between the flesh and God’s Spirit as part of what it means to be a Christian. Peter also demonstrated it in Matthew 16:13-23 by “succeeding” one moment then “failing” the next — like me. In verse 17, he earned Jesus’ praise: “Blessed are you, Simon . . . for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.” Yet shortly after, Jesus rebuked him saying, “You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Though the apostles continued to stumble, they also got back up and built the church. Similarly, God calls us all to steadfast service, even after we fall short. How encouraging to know Christ uses the forgiven, not the flawless!
Stumbling is part of learning how to walk with Christ.
Those who do not feel useful to Christ
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