“So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” I Samuel 10:22.

 

Of all the good things our pastor preached yesterday, this is what hit me the hardest. When God calls us into service, sometimes we see our weaknesses and failures just as Saul did, and wonder how God can use us. We allow fear to set in. We hide behind the baggage of our past, or the “stuff”, as it says in KJV. We question the call. Why me? Why not someone else? I’m too shy. We question our ability to do the work. It’s too great. It’s too important. It’s too intimidating. What will I say? What will I do? How can I accomplish this task? I’m not smart enough. I’m not good enough. What if I fail?

 

In 2 Corinthians 12:8 Paul asked the Lord to take away a particular thorn in his flesh. We don’t know what it was, but whatever it was, Satan would use it to periodically remind him of his inferiority in this area. Satan would “buffet” him. He would beat him up about it, just like he does to us. He demeans us and tries to make us feel we’re not good enough, not clean enough, not perfect enough for the task God has given us. Three times Paul asked the Lord to heal him in this area, to take away whatever the inferiority was. God’s answer was that His grace was sufficient. In fact, he said his grace was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. That means His grace was enough to compensate for whatever failures Paul had. His grace was enough to cover the sin, compensate for the inequity, or correct the problem. God did not see Paul as flawed. God saw Paul as perfect for the job.