You ‘Nervoused’ Me
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. (2 Corinthians 4:1 NIV)
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My youngest son is exploring the English language and, like many of your sons and daughters, he sometimes uses the correct word but gets creative with his sentence structure.
My favorite example is when he said, “Dad, you nervoused me!” (Meaning, “You made me nervous!”)
I use this illustration to help you remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:1. Paul says, literally, that he “has been mercied” for this ministry of reconciliation.
“I have been mercied by God!”
You and I can say this too. God has poured his mercy upon us; he brings us into an intimate relationship with him through his grace and mercy, poured out through the blood of Jesus Christ.
God is the initiator; we are the ones who have been “mercied.” God gives us his mercy as a gift, not as a reward for proper behavior or even a payback for sacrificial service.
We can’t earn it; God can give it. I can’t work for it; God can offer it.
And so Paul says that, because of God’s great mercy, we now have this ministry of reconciliation, a ministry that tells people the good news of God’s grace, a ministry God uses to transform lives.
This ministry is a monumental task – a God-task – but we need not lose heart, for we are energized by the very Spirit of the Living God. God is working in us and through us and around us to ensure this ministry – his ministry through us – is a success.
And, therefore, Paul says we need not shrink back when we’re face-to-face with overwhelming odds or when we’re pressed in by challenging circumstances. This is no time to retreat from our faith, yet, Paul isn’t saying we need to try harder when we’re under pressure. He isn’t saying, “Get it right because God demands it.”
Rather, Paul is teaching us that the pressure of our circumstances will push our faith from theory into practice. We simply need to stand, and stand boldly, in our faith, and not retreat into our own strength. We can proclaim boldly that God is our strength.
What does this mean?
· Agree with God – We do not lose heart because, in faith, we can agree with God when he says we are his “workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)
· Expand your view of boldness – When we think of a bold faith, we tend to think only in terms of a verbal witness, that is, we’re bold enough to tell other people about Jesus. That is part of being a Christ-disciple, but there is so much more to a bold faith. If you stand fast, believing God is at work, even when you cannot see what he is doing – that, in itself, is not retreating from your faith; it is a bold stand of faith.
· Trust that where God guides, he provides – If you are where God wants you to be, he will provide. It may not be in the way you expect, and it may not fit into your timetable. But his plans for you are not for failure; they are for your own good. (Jeremiah 29:11)
· Less guilt, more ministry – Often, when we speak in terms of ministry, we think of program-oriented activity, things we do at church. And we feel guilty we’re not doing more. Yet your ministry is all around you. For example, training your children in the way of Christ is a ministry. Taking care of your aging parents is a ministry. (Now, don’t use this as an excuse for not doing anything at church; our ministry also emerges through our local congregation. Consider your God-given SHAPE as you look at ways to serve in your congregation.)
© 2007 Jon Walker. All rights reserved.
