Lessons in grace: Doing away with being indispensable

It’s something I hope we all struggle with. I would hate to be the only one. Although being the only one is just the problem. You see, I struggle with believing that I am essential, unmissable, absolutely necessary. I want to be THE ONE who is needed. I want to feel that without me, everything would fall apart. Mind you, I don’t think that out loud - not even in my mind – but that is what it comes down to. But the reality is, if I am doing what I really want to do, what God wants me to do, then I will never be the one on whom everything depends. And that is how it should be.

What I really want is that people will learn and grow and be able to do all the things that I am also doing, which I learned from others who taught me the things they learned from others. That is the picture – passing it on. If I am doing this, then I am never going to be indispensable. But if I were indispensable, then at some point what I was doing would end. And that is how we can see if something is from God or not. Because God IS indispensable. He is THE ONE who is needed, without whom everything will fall apart. HE is essential, not me.

I struggle with this because I think that if I am not essential, then I am not worth anything. Being in charge, being the most important, having it all seems like the only way to show that I have worth. Simply being a ‘part’ doesn’t seem very worthwhile at all. But as you see, as I see, that is not at all true. And thankfully, God is gracious enough to let me, help me see this truth. God, the Creator of heaven and earth, almighty, all-knowing, loving Father, allows me to work with Him. He uses me in His essential plans to bring to fruition what ony He can do. And isn’t it beautiful!

I want to be part of His whole, doing what I can as He enables me, passing on to others how beautiful it is to walk with Him. He is unmissable, indispensable, essential. He counts me worthy, through His grace, to walk with and work with Him. What a wonderful grace!

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”     1 Peter 2:4-7