Daily life with Jesus by Grahame Howard: Yes, you can do this!

Saturday 2 May 2020

Yes, you can do this!

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."
John 14:12. NKJV

You may say, 'Jesus wasn't talking to me though. He was talking to these others - the ones that always seem to get it right. He couldn't have meant me.'
Well, I'm sorry to disagree with you, but He did mean you, so stop trying to hide away feeling that you're a nobody. Jesus takes a nobody and turns them into a somebody; and again, I say, that's you.

When you consider this verse and what Jesus is actually saying, it is mind-blowing. Was He really saying that we would greater works than He did? Yes, He was. However, we need to expound this further.
Jesus didn't mean that our works would out-shine Him; that we would do greater miracles than He ever did. No, not at all. What He was saying was, His ministry had lasted three years or so and He had accomplished much. However, He was now going to the Father and leaving the disciples - and us - to carry on the work and spread it all over the world. He was leaving behind a victorious body of spirit-filled people who would further His Kingdom more than He ever could have done in such a short time.

This may have seemed an impossible task, until Peter's first sermon. He converted more people in one speech than Jesus had in His entire ministry.
'Yes, but I could never do that,' you say, 'Peter may have done, but I'm not good enough for that. I am so inadequate; I let Him down all the time.'
You may let Him down daily, but He still believes in you. He still believes you can do what He is asking you. Your inadequacy is down to the way you see yourself. That can be changed.

Charles F Stanley comments on this:

'The problem isn't your inadequacy or that you are imperfect. It is that you have allowed your feelings to overshadow the truth of God's Word. The Lord is able to use you to show His love to others.'

The thing is, God has called you to do a particular thing. You know it, I know it, God knows it and probably the dog knows it too - if you have one. So get on and do it!
Jesus didn't lie, did He? Of course He didn't. Therefore, He says, 'If you believe in Me, then greater things will you do than I did.' (My paraphrase.)

Don't bury your talent! (Matthew 25:18). God's given you something to do and His Word to you today is, 'Go and do it.'

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard