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0:00:36 – Speaker 2
I love the Christmas story for so many reasons, but one of my favorites is the lesson that God can use anyone for his purpose. I mean, here we have Mary and Joseph. These are two unwed teenagers. Gasp, that would be like so looked down upon, right?
0:00:55 – Speaker 1
Yeah, i mean not just, i mean think about then. I can’t imagine.
0:00:59 – Speaker 2
I know even today it’s looked down upon, but back then it was really scandalous. They had no money, they didn’t come from these elaborate celebrity families, yet God picked them to be his earthly parents, and I think it’s such a lesson for us that God uses unlikely people to do the impossible. I think that’s pretty incredible to think about.
0:01:25 – Speaker 1
It’s amazing. It makes me feel like there’s hope.
0:01:29 – Speaker 2
Well, you know, i think back to Matt and I when we first got married and we waited four or five years to have our first child And I remember we were like wanted to plan correctly, we wanted to have student loans paid and we wanted to have so much money in the bank and all the things lined up. I had to read all the parenting books, all these things like lined up so that we could prepare for this first child of ours. And I look at God and he just none of that mattered to him Like he looked at these two people, not even married yet, and it’s like he knew he was able to look inside and knew they would be obedient and knew they would carry out this task And that’s why they were chosen, not because they were ready or perfect or had everything lined up. And I just love that concept. We have a world full of celebrities and social media influencers and you know, the pursuit of money and fame and all of that. I mean it is just.
I feel like it’s at an all time high, higher than it’s ever been before, because of social media, and it’s just so refreshing to think God wouldn’t have picked the girl front and center, with one million followers to have the son of God.
You know what I mean. Like he just picked a normal person. I think about that a lot because as a writer, you hear this word platform thrown around a lot. Publishers are like if you don’t have this many followers, if you don’t have this kind of platform, they won’t even look at your stuff. You know, rejection is one of those things that authors and speakers face a lot of times when you’re trying to get into that circle or whatever it is that you’re kind of defining. You know, god just reminds me over and over again that he didn’t look for a platform. You don’t have to be popular to be used by God for a higher purpose, and I think Mary and Joseph are again just reminders of that in today’s crazy social media world And I think it’s a good talking point with our kids who are on social media.
0:03:29 – Speaker 1
I love that you said that. I was just thinking our kids, from the time they’re little all the way to their growing up, they’re watching this world, whether it be social media, whether it be their neighbors, whether it be someone they look up to in the church, and they’re easily influenced by what they see. And often they’re questioning their worth. And how cool that during the Christmas season we could say you are worthy because you are a child of God, and look how he uses those who are his. Not the platform, not what you wear, not what you’ve done, but who you are because you’re his. And I think that’s a message we need to encourage and share and instill in our kids all year around.
0:04:07 – Speaker 2
Yeah, i mean, i think when my kids were little, before they had social media, it was them wanting to be a YouTube star Because they saw that people could have these careers. It made millions by doing all these awesome things gaming all day and recording their things, trick shots, yeah, trick shots, all the stuff Right. And then they get on social media and they see it even more of these influencers And I think it’s just such a great reminder this Christmas season. If God picked somebody to have Jesus today, i don’t think it would be those people, that we would think these celebrities. I think it would be just some random general girl and boy who had a heart to serve God and he looked past all of that, you know.
The other thing is we see this throughout scripture. We see God using just unlikely people, and not only, you know, mary and Joseph were young, but also we see people who have checkered past, have done some really shady stuff. I mean I’m just going to say it like we would totally judge them today, and there’s so many stories that I could point to here, but you know, the Samaritan woman at the well just kind of sticks out for me in the situation. You know she was married five times and now living with a new guy. Jesus came across her at the well. He confronted her and he loved her And, of course, yes, he told her to go and send no more. But, like, she was seen by him for the first time, and not in a judgmental way, but in a way of I love you no matter what. You’re making bad decisions, but I want you to turn from that. And I love John 439 because, after she had her encounter with Jesus, she went back to the town and she told all of them what happened.
John 439, it says, many Samaritans from her town believed in him because of her testimony. Yes, so I mean, okay, just think about this, kim. So think about somebody in your life, that’s. You know, i hate to say it, but you would call scandalous, or you know the other S word that I’m thinking about. Right, like we all, we all have those people in our life, or we’re like.
0:06:16 – Speaker 1
We may have been those people. I’m not saying we may have been those people.
0:06:23 – Speaker 2
Yes, think about those people and then think about what would happen to change in that person so that people actually believed in Jesus because of her testimony. It’s hard to imagine, it’s hard to wrap your head around that. In our line of work we come across a lot of families in crisis. A lot of times, you know, we will hear stuff like my kid is addicted to porn and they’ve been addicted to it for years and I need help. Oftentimes the first thing that goes through my mind is God can still use a kid who’s addicted to porn, like he can turn everything around. Because I think about the Samaritan woman, i think about Mary and Joseph, just two unlikely people. It’s just crazy for me to think about how these people’s lives have been transformed and then God uses them.
0:07:13 – Speaker 1
Do you see to how important it is to teach our kids to search for truth and inspiration in the Bible because of moments like what you’re talking about, when they are struggling because maybe they’re addicted to porn or maybe they’re cutting. If they know that they can talk to us about anything and we can share these stories with them and encourage them that they are still worthy and usable, and if we can send them to look up scripture and they can read the words of prophets and hear the stories of those who have gone through crazy things and still been used, god will speak to them through the Holy Spirit and encourage them. In those moments. All of this comes together for good these stories reminding our kids that he can use them no matter what, we are good enough to be used by God.
0:08:00 – Speaker 2
A couple years ago I was speaking at a conference. A girl came in with her mom, a young girl Kim, i think you were at this one. You actually went up to the mom and was like this is adult content.
I don’t know if you want your child in here or not. Afterwards she was waiting in line to talk to me. It was her turn and she came up and she wouldn’t look at me in the eyes. She kept looking at the floor and she was young. I didn’t know it at the time, but she was 11. I found that out later.
She finally said, as she was looking at the floor, not making eye contact, i’m addicted to porn. I can’t stop looking at it and I can’t sleep. How could God ever use someone like me? Then she literally just flung in my arms and she was like I want to die. She just was broken.
I just remember at that moment saying to her God can use anything. I know it doesn’t feel this way now, but think about it. Think, if you go to counseling and you get better, in a couple years you’re older and you’re ready to share your story. Can you imagine how many kids you could help Because you’ve walked this? You know it better than I do, even as a young child living through this And parents.
Let me tell you she was homeschooled and she had no phone. She stumbled upon pornography on a homeschool project to a laptop and it’s by road from there and she wasn’t sleeping, she wasn’t eating, she could not get the images out of her head. I mean, it was a whole mess and from the world standpoint, she was messed up and, you know, had a lot of baggage at eleven and all of this stuff. And i look at what god did with the samaritan woman and in one moment Her life was changed and the town was respecting her enough to listen to her.
God can do that. God can do that and i want us to be reminded of us this christmas season. You feel like your family’s a mess. Or you’re walking through a divorce, or you know you are trying to raise this blended family and it is so difficult, or you’re walking your kid to a porn addiction. Whatever it is that you’re going through, don’t ever let satan tell you that you can’t be used by god, because that is an absolute lie. He can use everything you’re walking through for his glory and help others who are walking through it.
0:10:27 – Speaker 1
So this christmas, we really want you to remember the gift of jesus. He’s the whole reason we’re celebrating. But also don’t miss the reminders that god can use anyone. He can use you in your circumstance, no matter what it is. God uses unlikely people to do the impossible. You don’t have to be popular with a platform to be used by god for a higher purpose. Remember mary and joseph.
0:10:51 – Speaker 2
Those are perfect examples if you’re looking for inspiration, and no matter what you’ve done, god can still use you for his We hope you guys have a wonderful christmas and are able to really shut down the screens for a little bit and spend some quality time with your family.
Transcribed by https://podium.page
