Good Monday morning (6-04-10),

You were designed to do great things to glorify God.

You probably find that difficult to believe. You probably don’t feel great. If you’re much like I am, most days you probably wonder why in God’s great imagination you were even born.

It’s difficult for us to believe we are destined for greatness because we feel so inadequate, so mundane, so weak, so unable, so…ungreat. Well, it’s always good when we are aware of the facts. As Pastor Carl says, there are the facts, and then there is the truth.

The fact is that we are completely inadequate and unable to do what God has called us to do. But the truth is that each one of us was created and destined for greatness in God’s kingdom. You are put here to do exploits, great things, for God.

“…the people who know their God shall be strong and do exploits.” Dan. 11:32

You were formed for a purpose. Yes…you. You are not an accident.

“He chose us for Himself in Christ before the foundation of the world…” Eph. 1:4

God selected the exact time and place you would be born. Nothing is arbitrary about you or the world you inhabit or the place you find yourself today.

“And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.” Acts 17:26

Who you are, what you are, and where you are was determined and planned by God from the beginning of time. The fact that we feel inadequate to the task of serving and glorifying God is because we cannot do it in our own ability. We innately know that, and that knowledge alone keeps most of us from ever achieving our purpose, from fulfilling our destiny. Remember: there are the facts, and then there is the truth.

The truth is that we have been equipped by God with the ability to do what we are called to do.

“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you to be My witnesses…to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

God gives us power, a very great power, so that we can glorify Him. If you are baptized in the Holy Spirit you are prepared and enabled to fulfill your mission. Jesus told the disciples they would not only do the same works He did, but they would do even greater works than those. How is that possible? They were equipped with the same power that Jesus used. Not only that, you and I have been supplied with that same power.

“The Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you…” Rom. 8:11

You have been given unlimited supernatural power, the same power that was in Jesus. And you have also been furnished with gifts to suit your individual purpose and calling.

“Now there are distinctive varieties and distributions of endowments (gifts), but the same Spirit.” I Cor. 12:4

You are specifically, uniquely, distinctively shaped by God to be great. You are prepared, selected and placed. You have been equipped with power and with gifts to be used by God to make a difference — to glorify Him and to preach the gospel to the entire world.

Maybe your preaching comes out in how you do business, or how you raise your children, or how you play basketball, or how you treat your co-workers. Not everyone is called to the foreign missions field. But no one, not even you, is left out of the great commission. Each one of us is created to excel, to be great, to be uniquely and appropriately able to minister.

You are anointed for greatness. If you don’t know what that anointing is for, where you are to serve, then ask God. It’s not a secret. He wants you to know!

“You have made him (man) just a little lower than God, and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet…” Psalm 8:5-6

Laurie Gross