The Edge

“There will be no pride on my holy mountain.”
Zephaniah 3:11c
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I’m a huge fan of personality tests and strength assessments. Between you and me, they kind of make me feel like I have super powers. (I may or may not read the results of my tests as if they were movie trailers. “In a world on the brink of disaster, only one could see a solution… SUPER EMPATHY GIRL!!!”)

But seriously, knowing which skill set we possess is only HALF the battle… the easier half. The tough half is learning how to let God’s agenda direct our super cool skill set. That’s what God has been showing me this past month. In so many of the Old Testament accounts I’ve been reading, God asks people to do something that really pushes them to the brink of what they feel they’re capable of. Moses was so scared of God’s job for him that he wouldn’t say ‘yes’ until he was offered the help of his brother Aaron. Jonah was so scared that he tried running away from God.

What if we use our gifts best
when we are put in circumstances that leave no room for ego or pride?
Right on the edge where ‘Skill’ meets ‘Faith’?

In chapter three of the book of Zephaniah, God shares a message of what the world will look like once he’s fixed it. One part in particular called out to me as a reminder of our place within it. He says:

There will be no pride on my holy mountain. Those who are left will be the lowly and the humble, for it is they who trust in the name of the LORD. (Zephaniah 3:11c-12 NLT)

God’s plan requires humility. There’s no room for pride. Being an active part on God’s holy mountain, means remembering that my best doesn’t happen without Him. Even if I were the best pencil in the world I am useless without God’s hand to pick me up and write HIS words with me. He wants us to trust Him where we are weak AND strong.

This week, I will be praying that God calls me to circumstances on the edge of my abilities, so I can practice confidently trusting in Him to help me be what he created me to be.

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Dear Lord, I want to serve you without ego. I want to honor you in my weakness and strength. Please give me your boldness so that I can say YES to anything you ask of me. Grow my faith so that I can trust you to leverage my gifts in your honor, not mine. Amen.