9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 (ESV)
God is in the process of creating a beautiful tapestry of His grace and goodness in our lives. As I reflect back on the past 15 years I can see God’s hand on my life. I am not the same person I was when Jesus met me at 18. But our own transformation is not the end of God’s grace; no, God invites His people to PROCLAIM his goodness.
Right now God has placed you in a particular place to be a herald of the Kingdom of God. God has given you a family that needs to hear of the miraculous intervention of the Lord on your life. God has placed you in a workplace that needs to see what hardwork and dedication look like as it is shaped by the Gospel. God has placed you in relationship with those that need to see His power on display in your life. You are called to “proclaim the excellencies ofhim who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
This can feel quite daunting. It’s a big mission to be a messenger of God’s Goodness. Here is the good news – The Holy Spirit empowers us to walk this mission out.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
While it does require our participation and our “yes”, the Holy Spirit empowers us to be herald’s of God’s Goodness to our broken world. Before I was in ministry I remember sitting on a boat with a coworker one Friday morning. He knew I attended church and was really curious about my faith. He had recently lost a loved one and was dealing with grief and struggling to process feelings of grief. My own story of grief and loss empowered by the Spirit became a palette for God to paint His feelings of love and kindness to this grieving man. What God had done in me was not just for me, but for the sake of the world.
Take some time to reflect on these prompts:
- How has God uniquely crafted you to be an ambassador of His Grace? What has God done in your life for you to tell others that He is good and trustworthy?
- Have you ever shared your story with someone else? If you are in a Community Group ask your Facilitator for a time to share your story. If you’re not in a Community Group invite a trusted friend out to coffee and share your story.
- Are you in the middle of something difficult or challenging right now? What would it look like for God to come to you right now? How could this moment be encouraging for someone else in the future?