Sometimes I wonder if Christ still counts me faithful?
My life verse is I Timothy 1:12 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;”
In this verse, I find a lot of things that I can claim and use in my Christian life.
“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord…”
To start, I can just thank Jesus Christ! I have so much to thank Him for! I thank Him for salvation. Without His sacrifice and payment for my sins, I would be on my way to Hell! I’m thankful for the Word of God! I’m thankful for my family! I’m thankful for the hope of heaven! I have so much to thank Him for!
Paul, when he was writing this, probably sat there at thought about everything he had to be thankful for! Christ took him out of murdering Christians to being one of the greatest Christian missionaries in history! He says in the following verses that he was the chiefest of sinners! I’m sure he was thankful for the saving power of Jesus Christ!
Like Paul, I to can be thankful. Thankful for everything that the Lord has done in my life and we could just end it there.
“Who hath enabled me…”
Without Christ we are nothing and we can do nothing! He has enabled us to serve Him! Think about it, everything we are and everything we have and everything we can do is a gift from Him! Christ has given me gifts and talents and desires and opportunities to serve Him, what I do with those is up to me though!
Paul realized that he was where he was because of Christ! He realized that it was Christ who enabled him to serve and to preach the Gospel! Without Christ, Paul probably would have killed more Christians than any one man. No one would have given Paul a chance to preach because of where he came from and what he was known for, but Christ enabled him, Christ empowered him and Christ used him to spread the Gospel all over that part of world during that time!
“Putting me into the ministry:”
When you realize what the ministry really is, you will also realize that only through Christ can we accomplish the work of the ministry. Many have this misconception that the ministry is being paid by a church, being on a church staff. The ministry is telling others about Christ and serving others! We have to realize that whatever opportunity we have to serve Christ is because He placed us there, He gave us the ability to serve Him!
Paul realized that the only reason he was serving Christ in the capacity that he was, was because of Christ. Paul knew that it was Christ that changed his heart and the hearts of those he ministered to. Do you think you would trust someone that had a profession of killing Christians was know preaching the Gospel to you? No! It was only because Christ put him in that place with the message to preach and Paul realized it.
I skipped one phrase of the verse and I did it on purpose. I believe this phrase is what the whole verse hinges on.
“For that he counted me faithful…”
Paul realized that when he did his part of being faithful, God opened doors for him, God protected Him, and God guided him throughout his life. But it started with him being faithful.
I look at this verse and ask myself, does God find me faithful? I know I can thank Him, I know that everything I am and can do is because of Him and I do believe He has put me where He wants me to be but am I doing my part?
I believe Christ uses those who are already doing something. When He called the disciples, they were working. When Christ miraculously saved Paul, Paul was on a mission to exterminate more Christians. Christ uses people who are already working.
I reflect on my own life and I can see where I have not been faithful to Christ like I should have. I let my walk with Him falter, my service for Him fade and my ministering to others fail. I have been longing and desiring to do more for Christ but that alone will not get anything done. I have to put my feet on the ground and my hands on the plow and get up and get out and serve!
God is looking for faithful men and women!
Will you be counted faithful?
Counted Faithful 