Because Of Your Gifts Or In Spite Of Them: God Speaks Through Preaching

If you would have asked me as a child or even as a college student about some future life aspirations, preaching sermons would not have made the list.  

Especially because I am a woman, and I grew up a paradigm that would not allow for me to be upfront.

Yet here I am, having preached for the fourth time in as many months and wondering what crazy work God has done and is doing in my life.

Before and after speaking, I swim in a swirl of emotions from wonder to frustration to doubt to joy to regret to fulfillment. I love it and hate it at the same time. I never feel a clear call that I am the perfect person to speak that message—or a clear call that I am not.

But I know my main goals are to step in and to listen.

Sometimes that listening is difficult.

The preparation for my message this past Sunday was particularly exasperating. I felt completely underqualified. The subject was new life in Christ. Which is pretty much the subject of the New Testament.

What could I add to the words of Peter and Paul? And what could I say in 30 minutes that would even scratch the surface of this message of the Gospel?

As I read and sifted and processed, I often wondered if I should pass the baton to someone who would be better at this than me. But I didn’t. Somehow it seemed that feeling inadequate was actually the perfect place to begin.

If I authentically believe that what I do is through the power of the Holy Spirit, in the strength of Christ, for the glory of God, then it’s not about my adequacy. It is about my trust. I have to lean into God more than I count on my gifts.

So I did that the best I could.

Does that mean I walked away with a message I wouldn’t tweak if I had the chance, with points completely polished and with a conclusion that would take your breath away? Not in the slightest. There are several things that went well, and many more that I would do differently if I were to give this talk again.

Yet I believe that God uses broken vessels to shine His light. I believe He can speak through me because of my gifts or in spite of my gifts, depending on the circumstance.