Vessels of Your Redemptive Power

1 Corinthians 1:17

For Christ didn't send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News--and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power.

Surely Paul served the emerging church in a number of ways, but he understood that God had called him and equipped him specifically to preach the Good News.  Paul teaches us that, as we serve our churches and communities, it is important that we call on the Holy Spirit to help us to find out what God has specifically equipped us to do in service to His Kingdom.  No role is too big, nor is any role too small, when we are doing what Our Creator called us to do.

Then Paul expands his message to make sure that we recognize that the redemptive power of the Cross does not rely on anything that we do.  It is not our enticing words or the strength of our presentation that wins hearts.  We are simply vessels of the divine truth of God's mercy on all of us.  We should never consider ourselves to be the reason that a soul came to Christ.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we pray that you open our eyes so that we can see the unique ways that you have endowed us to serve you.  We pray that you will prepare our hearts so that we serve you as humble vessels of Your divine, redemptive power.