Read:
“I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way~with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge~God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
~1 Corinthians 1:4-9
In this passage, Paul is giving thanks to God for the church in Corinth. Through his thanksgiving he reminds the church what they have to be thankful for:
- Through Jesus, God has enriched their church in every way~with eloquent words and knowledge.
- They have every spiritual gift they need.
- Jesus will keep them strong so they will be free from blame when he returns.
- God has invited them into fellowship with his son.
As Christians, we, too, have the same things to be thankful for. God has given us His eloquent words to speak His knowledge. We have received every spiritual gift we need to fulfill God’s purpose for our life. Jesus guards us and keeps us strong so that we will be blameless when He returns. But most importantly, God has invited us into fellowship with His Son, Jesus. The NLT translation says, “…he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”
We’re invited into partnership with Jesus. He doesn’t coerce us~He doesn’t force us~He invites us. Unlike other partnerships that come along in our lives, with Jesus, success is guaranteed. I don’t know about you, but I am excited to be a partner with Jesus, serving alongside Him! I want to grab on to this calling in my life with both hands and hold on tight!
But right behind that excitement is a feeling of trepidation, even fear. What if I don’t really understand what He wants me to do? What if I’m wrong? What if I don’t have what it takes? What if I fail? What if He is disappointed in me?
Girlfriends, as soon as we accept the invitation to partner with Jesus, the enemy of our soul is on the attack, bombarding us with “what if” questions. He keeps our minds entangled in these doubts to prevent us from answering the one question he really fears, “what if she succeeds?”
God equips us to succeed in our service for Him and success leads to Changed Lives!  But maybe you’re not sure where to start. Sometimes the best way to figure out what partnership with God looks like in your life is to simply look for where God is already at work and start there. If you are a part of a local church, get plugged in and find out how you can help.
If you are a part of Real Life, we want to help you discover how you can best partner with God to work with Him. If you want help in discovering your gifts, simply text “gifts” to 352-577-0115. If you want to join a team and step up and serve, text “team” to 352-577-0115. If you are simply interested in becoming a member of Real Life, text “DRL” to that same number.
Jesus loves you and is inviting you into fellowship and partnership with Him. It’s ok if you don’t yet know what this looks like. Accept his invitation by faith and allow Him to start leading your life today.
Pray:
Heavenly Father, thank you that you invite me into fellowship and partnership with Jesus. Help me to give my all in service to you. I want to be sold out in the way I respond to your calling. I know that as soon as I say “yes”, the enemy will bombard me with reasons why I won’t succeed. Keep me grounded in your Spirit of truth and help bring to mind your word to combat each of the enemy’s attacks. In your Son’s name I pray…Amen!
Today’s post was written by Michele Barnes.
Michele is married to the love of her life, Jeff. She has 3 grown children and 1 very sweet grandson! Most days you can find Michele laughing with good friends, working with numbers, writing, or working with women. In the evenings, she enjoys spending time in a few creative outlets like creative lettering, drawing, and pottery. She loves snuggling with her dog, Tebow, and reading. But her most recent passion is snuggling with her sweet, new grandson and gazing at his precious face and bright smile! You can find her most weekends worshiping at our Real Life Clermont campus.Â