Entrusted

"Why O Lord, do You trust us with the responsibility of furthering Your Kingdom???"

I wish I had a dollar for every time this question has crossed my mind. I know I am faithless, flawed, frail of spirit and often forlorn at all the nastiness I see around me...from myself! Why would the Creator of the Universe, who possesses all knowledge, wisdom, and creativity use a ragtag bunch of followers to enlarge His territory? You'd think He, being able to see us for who we really are, would rethink this plan.

Yet, here it is:

"...but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel..." (I Thessalonians 2:4a)

In black and white, with ink on parchment, Paul, Silas and Timothy confirmed what we know in our hearts to be true...this is the only Plan. There is no Plan B. God in His infinite wisdom chose to give us the privilege and responsibility to take His Love, mission, grace and care for one another out into the world all around us.

Were Paul and his cohorts trustworthy in their mission? "For our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit..." (I Thessalonians 2:3) Apparently so. Can we be entrusted too? I think so. But there's a little key in the second part of that fourth verse that is our "insurance" against missteps. Not that we'll ever get it perfect and without fault, but it provides a guiding light for how I can begin to trust myself.

"...but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who examines our hearts." (I Thessalonians 4, emphasis mine)

If you know me, I may not seem like a people pleaser, on the surface, but I am. I don't like confrontation any more than the next person. I would greatly enjoy a steady stream of peace, joy and love surrounding me. Calm waves are pleasant waves, right? But this last summer as the Holy Spirit began uncovering my idols one by one...at the top of the list was people pleasing and it had to be told "Be Gone!" (see Isaiah 30:20-22)

Don't misunderstand me...I am not looking for confrontation, but avoiding it cannot be my impetus for operating in God's Kingdom. My actions, words, and thoughts will be examined by God, so my "measuring stick" comes from Him...not man.

Sigh! If I could always operate out of a heart that seeks to please Him alone, and when the doubts assail or I'm labelled a radical (hippie, as my kids call it) or my life looks entirely different than everyone else around me, isn't the peace found in knowing that my God entrusts and approves?