A man prayed in his closet:
Lord, have mercy on me. I spent a lifetime running away from You, but You never left me. I never sought You, but You found me. I never loved You, but You loved me and caused me to return that love because You placed Your love upon me. I never wanted Your will, but You work with me bringing me to a place of willingness. You make a way in my wilderness. I am not so many things, but I discover You are everything to me.

The Holy Spirit is encouraging and teaching us to live our lives to the glory of God. Our failure and weaknesses are the starting points that qualify, not disqualify, us for the vessel He wants to make us to be for His glory. The Lord spoke to the Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

1 Corinthians 1:25-31 “..the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.

But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty;

And base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

That according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”

For thirty years Jesus learned obedience as the Son of Man, before He started His three year ministry period on earth. He learned obedience through yielding to His Heavenly Father’s will, (Hebrews 5:8). So it is with us, as we yield to the leadings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus had a “himself” that was never seen. He only spoke the words His Father gave Him, He only did the things that pleased the Father. The only time we see Jesus’ will briefly in opposition to His Father, was when He faced the agony of Calvary. He begged His Father if it were possible “to take this cup from me,” but He quickly chose His Father’s will above His own: “Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done .”

As we yield to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we discover the sweetness of His will. He gives us everything we never wanted and we find we are delighted with everything He has given us. He causes us to delight in His choice for us….Father knows best!

We are still learning, still proving that nothing in my flesh is pleasing to the Lord. Christ working through me is the only hope of God receiving glory… “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27 Unless God enables me, I can of my own self do nothing. Everything good and wonderful that comes out of me, is because Jesus is holding my hand, enabling me to do His will. He works with His unwilling servant to make me willing to do His will! Then I discover the delights of HIS will!…..and the glory/credit is all His.

We are all a part of the many membered Body of Christ with diversity of gifts from the Lord. We do not all have the same gift, but we do have to learn to hold our gift to the glory of God, and not self glory. Some have made the mistake of making more of the gifts of the Spirit at the expense of the fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
The gifts were given to bear fruit to the glory of God, and the fruit is for sharing with others. As the old song goes, “Love isn’t love till you give it away…”

We have a new life in Christ. Paul declared, Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Our lives speak to others. Only a life lived to the glory of God will be effective, as we become a demonstration of the word of God we declare and believe, a demonstration of God’s love, giving Him all the glory!