I will preface this by saying I know they are the bad guys, but I love pirate movies and stories. They are always fun to read about and very exciting. The one thing I love about pirates is they have no concept of ableism. Oh, you don’t have a leg; use this peg leg. No hand, no worries, this hook will take care of that. Blind in one eye, here’s a patch for you. What’s that you say, you are deaf? Go, man, the cannon, you glorious pirate. They don’t mind if you have a limitation; they can still use you.
Imagine that. The bad guys have a core value that we Christians could emulate. Have you ever been in a situation involving Christians, and all they are focusing on is your limitations? That can be so frustrating, especially if you are a newer Christian. I am here to invoke your inner pirate and ask you not to give up. God can use you. I promise you he can. Source: Trust me, bro!
Read: He is Savior, but is He Yet Lord?
God has done this over and over in scripture. Oh, you have a stutter, Moses, don’t worry, we got you. David, is that sword and shields too heavy, and we will take care of that. What’s the rule, you say? Unmarried virgin, no worries, we need you to give birth to the son of man. You, reading this devotion, there is something you have convinced yourself is wrong with you, and it is holding you back from achieving everything that God has for you.
People will wake up in the morning and see a post from a friend that they just ran their first marathon or something crazy like that. Then we get down on ourselves for not doing things or asking, “Why can’t I be like that?” This is our biggest mistake; we compare ourselves to others too much.
Side note: I always wonder if people who run marathons know that they don’t have to. Side note to the side note: Back in ancient Greece, a messenger raced almost 25 miles with news of a significant victory in the wall. Once he got there, he collapsed and died. So to commemorate him, people run that far in one single race. Yeah, I’m not doing that.
People fail to realize that there are so many other races to be run. There is the 100, then 200, then 400, then 800, then 1600, and on and on until we get to the complete psychopaths that run 26.2 miles. God made a race specifically for you, and only you can run that race.
Imagine if David had decided that he wanted to look fearsome in his sword and shield. Things would be so much more different. But instead, God wants you to stay in your lane and run your race. All God wants is all you got. And if all you have is a smile and a kind word, he will take it. He can turn anything you deem ordinary and turn it into something extraordinary.
I love to imagine how scenarios went in the bible days. I can imagine Simon being called to be a disciple of Jesus. Last week, he got his new order of a thousand business cards, saying, “Simon the Fisherman, we will feed you for the day.” Then Jesus showed up and said, “Follow me, and by the way, your name is Peter now!” What God wants you to do will not vibe with what you have going on in your life. I can almost guarantee it. Very rarely will you decide to follow God and have no interruptions in your life. It doesn’t work that way.
The upside is the person who you are handing your life to wants to see you succeed. He wants the best for you. He knows you will mess up, become frustrated, and wants to give up, yet he still wants you on the team. Imagine having someone in your life who knows your deepest darkest secrets. Your ultimate failures. Those times when you knew you were doing wrong, and you did it anyway. And will still love you no matter what. That is the story he wants you to tell people when he says to spread the gospel. God can use you!
Prescott Williamson is a Bible-believing Christian. He is a husband, a father, and someone who believes that there is a little humor to be found in whatever situation God sends your way. He was born in the small islands of the Bahamas but now lives in the Suburbs of Fort Worth Texas, which is basically the same thing. He enjoys TV, reading, blogging and serving in his church (especially on the days they serve donuts). You can see what I have been thinking about lately on my blog www.prescottascoolbreeze.com.
