He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, and in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 WEB.

God loves each of us. He has a completely different measuring stick than mankind does and will use the least of the least to do incredible things. He deliberately chooses the weak, the uneducated, the simple, and the outcasts. He transforms the simple fisherman into a miracle-working apostle. This is demonstrated all through the Bible:

"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus. Seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it" (Acts 4:13).

In that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and Earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight" (Luke 10:21).

"For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble; but God chose the foolish things of the world that he might put to shame those who are wise. God chose the weak things of the world that he might put to shame the things that are strong. God chose the lowly things of the world, and the things that are despised, and the things that don't exist, that he might bring to nothing the things that exist, that no flesh should boast before God" (1Corinthians 1:26-29).

Humans love to be exalted and raised up, but unless we remain the humble, teachable servant He originally called, we can limit His power in our lives. Moses was the most humble man on the Earth and the most powerful man alive (Numbers 12:3). The miracles that God did through Moses are amazing. The Lord tells us, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit" (Zechariah 4:6). Our strength should come from the Holy Spirit.

There is a tendency in immature Christians who start going to church to put on a plastic church face that makes everyone think they have it all together. It's a time-honored tradition. We tend to act like we are so holy. An honest-to-God walking Bible that would have made the Apostles jealous when they began discussing which of them was the greatest. In reality, we are like white-washed tombs, pretty on the outside but with an inside full of all types of uncleanness.

It usually takes years to remove that fake outer shell, and some never do, but God won't use you as long as you wear the hypocrite mask. Yes, religion will try to make you into a hypocrite, an actor. But God looks at our hearts, and we can never fool Him. We can be squeaky clean and sharp-dressed on the outside, but He sees our true colors shining through the facade.

So what does all this mean? If you want to be used by God, be real. Drop the pretending. We aren't perfect. He is. Your weakness makes you a candidate for His power, and people are drawn to the real thing. So be honest. Concentrate less on the dos and don'ts and more on who He is and what He is like. Pray like He is a friend beside you and not a distant God in outer space who doesn't know your name. He even knows how many hairs are left on your head (Luke 12:7).

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for saving me and letting me know You. Please set me free from the things that bind me, and let me come to know You better. Help me remove every fake coverup in my life and reveal the real me. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today, we will be hosting our Wednesday morning prayer service at the usual time of 10:30am EST! This is a short service, about 15-20 minutes, where we pray together for any needs you would like to share. Hope to see y'all there! As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.