Upside Down - Come Fill Your Cup

Have you ever been in a situation where you thought, “Wow, she’s so good at that! I wish I had that gift.” Then, if you’re like me, you go along your merry way and don’t think anything else about it. This happened to me recently with my daughter, Ana. We were having a rare, calm day at home, and as I sat in the living room I couldn’t help but notice what she was doing. Ana had a massive stack of blank cards beside her, along with pretty pens and her prized wax stamp kit. She meticulously wrote out individual cards for probably a dozen different people. Some of those people were struggling with illness, some were down or discouraged, some were individuals who had blessed or served our family that she was thanking, and some were special people in her life whom she wanted to know she was thinking about.

As I silently observed her, I was definitely thinking, “She’s so good at that! I wish I was as thoughtful and intentional about encouragement as she is!” Then it dawned on me: This is my child whom I have watched literally since the day she was born. I know her better than anyone else on the earth, and I know for a fact that this is not some miraculous gift she was fortunate enough to be born with. This is something that, years ago, Ana decided was important, and since that day she has cultivated being intentional about encouraging others through card-writing. Now, years later, it is something that she excels at and with which she truly makes the world a brighter place for so many people.

The implications of this revelation were mind-blowing for me. Wait a minute! I can intentionally foster and grow gifts and talents?! I can learn to do something that doesn’t come naturally or easy to me?! And I can even do it well?! For real?! And then came the forlorn sound of rushing air as all my excuses were ripped away.

This got me to thinking of all the times in Scripture that God took people way outside their comfort zones, outside their talents and strengths, to serve His purpose. Just to name a few:

Moses leading the Israelites (Exodus 4)
Jeremiah, who was young and not a talented speaker, preaching (Jeremiah 1:6)
A bunch of jewelry makers and perfumers, including women, building a really ugly wall (Nehemiah 3:8, 12, 31, 4:3)
Gideon performing mighty deeds (Judges 6-8)
Ananias going to Saul (Acts 9)

And truly, when we look back on these historical accounts with a bird’s-eye view, the entire point is that it wasn’t about these individuals. It wasn’t about what areas they were naturally gifted in or what was comfortable for them. The point was always that God was glorified through their obedience.

In thinking about this, I was hit with another profound truth: Never once in Scripture did someone step out on faith and fail. Not. Once. Especially when we view failure/success through God’s lens and not our own. In my mind, if I have a Bible study with a lost soul and their heart isn’t pricked, I’ve failed. If I speak a hard truth and the individual won’t listen, I’ve failed. If I don’t teach a Bible class as well as someone else, I’ve failed. If I’m speaking and my words get jumbled or I lose my train of thought (not that this has ever happened), then I’ve failed.

But God’s plumb line is so very different from ours. His measure has always been obedience. His measure has always been giving Him our best and being willing to try. Look at what Moses and Jeremiah, who both struggled with speech, were able to accomplish. A bunch of jewelry makers, perfumers and girls were able to build a really terrible wall that nevertheless kept God’s people safe and terrified the people of the land. Gideon was able to overcome great personal doubt, protect God’s people and destroy God’s enemies by stepping out on faith. 2/3 of our New Testament was written, and the apostle Paul is by the Lord’s side right now, because Ananias did something that terrified him.

One of my husband’s favorite sayings is, “God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.” Ladies, we have been called! 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” It’s not about what comes naturally or easy to us. It’s about being willing to put out the effort to do the Lord’s will even when it isn’t natural for us. Even when it isn’t easy. Like I learned through the example of my precious daughter, it’s about saying, “This is important, and so I’m going to work at it. Intentionally, deliberately, I’m going to develop this skill because the Lord, the brethren, and the lost are worth it.”

One of my favorite passages is Acts 17:6: “And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…’.” Think about that for a moment. “These men who have turned the world upside down.” They weren’t talking about Paul or Peter. They weren’t talking about any of the other apostles. They were talking about Jason, who is only mentioned here and in Romans 16:21, and other brothers whose names we don’t even have.

These weren’t famous orators or rabbis. They didn’t have a lot of letters behind their names. They were just normal people doing the best they could do to serve the God who had saved their souls. And what was the result? Even the enemies of the cross acknowledged that they were turning the entire world upside down.

So, ladies, let me encourage you: The next time you see someone doing something, serving in a particular way, being an encouragement, and you think, “Wow, that’s awesome! I would love to be able to do that!”—do it. Will it be awesome the first time out of the gate? Doubtful. But does God care about that? Not even a little bit. Will it automatically become a wonderful new habit because you’ve decided it’s a good thing to do? Nope. But just think for a moment, think what would happen if we all took one uncomfortable step at a time, one day at a time, one intentional effort at a time. It wouldn’t be long until the darkness of the world looked at the bright, shining light of the Lord’s church and said, “Oh no, these women who have turned the world upside down, they have come here also!” And that, my sisters, will be an awesome day. May God bless you as you serve Him.

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Lacy Crowell

Lacy Crowell is the Associate Editor for Come Fill Your Cup. She and her husband, Jonathan, worship with the Garriott Road church of Christ in Enid, Oklahoma where Jonathan serves as the Youth/Family Minister. They are blessed with four precious children which Lacy has the privilege of homeschooling. Lacy has an Associate’s Degree in Biblical Studies from the Bear Valley Bible Institute, and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapy Candidate. She has been published in Christian Woman Magazine, Think Magazine, Queenly Quest and KAIO Publications, and has spoken for various ladies’ days, girl’s youth rallies and camps both domestic and foreign.

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