Does is surprise you that the God of the Universe desires to use your unique voice to impact the world for His Kingdom?
It shouldn't.
Yet you'd be surprised to find how many people go about their walk with Christ hoping for great things, yet never trusting that He will in fact guide our words and our steps as we pursue Him to accomplish His Will throughout the world.
Consider the following:
"And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don't worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said." (Luke 12:11-12 NLT)
Think about that statement for a moment. Jesus Himself is speaking to His disciples, warning them that difficult times lie ahead, but also not to worry about how the course of those events will play out. The Holy Spirit Himself will guide their words at the right time! The disciples all would go on to face terrible persecution and (by our standards, horrific; to them and for the journey God was leading them on, glorious) death, but before then they would in fact speak before nations, before kings and priests, before the masses, to declare the love and passion of Christ for their sake! If this is how the early believers lived, this is the faith that we too can step into when we look out to the world and consider where God is leading us to go.
I've heard these statements many times before. I've been guilty of saying some of them too.
Who am I to go talk to/travel to ___?
Who would listen to me?
I don't have anything to say.
I'm not that important.
My testimony isn't that exciting.
Witnessing is for someone else - someone more gifted, more educated, more qualified.
What if I get it wrong?
A lesson I've had to repeatedly learn and - if you're in this place of self-doubt now - you need to hear now is this: Who are you to think that the God who parted the sea and raised the dead back to life can't do something extraordinary with your life and your voice?
Who are we to think that God is so small He can't move the mountains in front of us or use the shame of our pasts to create beauty and freedom in the future?
Take heart. The God who goes before you is also the God who continually out-serves you. The God who calls is also the God who qualifies.
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb." (Jeremiah 1:5a NLT)
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT)
What this means is that God is big enough to handle your doubts and fears. God is big enough and actively involved in the human story to take the words you say and make them count. So don't beat yourself up and don't worry!
Part of stepping out in faith means trusting that God is in fact going to show up. It means preparing for the unexpected; it means being diligent in studying the Word and in abiding in prayer, but also embracing those awkward, stumbling, human moments.
Life was not meant to be lived in a cookie-cutter fashion.
Think of it this way: if you instead had all the confidence in the world that you were in fact the most qualified, the most suited, the most prepared, the most - dare I say it - perfect person to share the Gospel and to step out on mission - where would the fun and adventure be in that? Where would faith come in?
Also: who would want to travel with someone like that?
Your voice is unique. Your experiences are unique. All the imperfections of your past, the guilt and shame you have been freed from through Christ's blood - no matter how you view your story, God views it as His to use to spread His kingdom. And that means that your voice has power.
Your story has power.
Never forget: you are made in the image of the living God. You are His. And nothing can take you from His hand.
So don't worry! Embrace the adventure! Step out in faith onto the mission field, and trust that God is going to do something amazing through you. Somewhere out there is someone whom God longs to reach, and He is waiting to use YOUR voice to do so!
That's the kind of God we serve. That's how big He is.