Does the Lord ever ask us to do something that we are incapable of doing? Of course not! He knows us so very intimately and each one of us is different from everyone else. Yet too many times in this lifetime we say "I can't." I believe what we are really saying is "I won't." What we must realize is that we will stand before God and be held accountable for every word. (Matthew 12:36)
I think about people who use their personality as an excuse not to sing to the Lord in church. I have known a few who stand stoically, not opening their mouth. They may say they are singing to God in their heart. Really? Seriously? Since when is it okay to hide your candle under a lampstand? I thought the Lord wanted us to shine it on a hill. Doesn't have to look pretty or sound pretty. It just has to be a witness. A testimony. NOT of your quality of voice but of the work of the Lord in your life. Well, I guess if you have nothing to thank God for, you really shouldn't be singing. You probably shouldn't even be in church. BUT WAIT!!!! Seriously? You have NOTHING to thank God for? NOTHING to praise Him for? What does I Thes. 5:16-18 say? And what about Phil. 4:4? I can hear it now..."but it doesn't say we have to do them out loud." "I have an introverted personality and I can't do that." SERIOUSLY?!?!? Put two and two together and get four! PLEASE! Do you you really think God put you on this earth to keep your mouth shut about the things HE is doing? Speak up - NOT for your sake! Do it because you love the Lord! He doesn't NEED you to do it. He WANTS you to.
Now before you "introverts" get all worked up and say, "That's easy for you to say," why don't you consider how difficult this life is for us extroverts? I mean, do you hear the stuff that comes out of our mouths sometimes? And what about getting angry? Have you read James 1:19? Oh, my! Don't even get me started on the number of times this mouth has gotten me in hot water! How often do we, as extroverts, somehow take the credit for things happening in our lives instead of showing off God? we just plain fail to point others to the Lord and stand in the limelight, soaking up the attention of those around us? Do I have the right to say. "That's just the way I am?" I think not! It is downright grueling to control my tongue some days. It's probably as difficult for an introvert to OPEN their mouth as it is for an extrovert to CLOSE theirs.
My point is this. Living a godly life on this earth is difficult. Trying to praise the Lord through the circumstances is difficult. But as long as we are saying "I can't" we are, in essence, saying "I won't." God has given us all the tools to accomplish the things He would have us to on this earth. He has given us each strengths and weaknesses. We are to surrender the strengths to Him and rely on the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit within us to overcome the weaknesses. IT is in THAT that we glorify the Lord!
That's all I have to say - FOR NOW,
Petra
