Divinely Ruined
Acts 2:41
So those who accepted his (Peter’s) message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.
God worked mighty wonders through Peter – a man who denied Jesus three times. He thought he was finished in ministry and tried to go back to his old way of life as a fisherman. He had come too far with Christ, however, to turn back. Jesus had too much invested in him not to use him. Peter was “divinely ruined” for ministry. Through the flawed character of a now humbled follower, God brought 3,000 people to accept Peter’s message and begin His church on earth. God gave Peter a ministry!
To be “divinely ruined” means you have no other options. While you would rather run in a different direction, you realize your only possible success lies in two commands that Jesus gives: “Feed my sheep” and “Follow Me.” As you walk in the direction God leads, He won’t let you see enough ahead to plan your own agenda. He works behind the scenes so you don’t know exactly what He is doing, but you know He’s with you and doing something. You learn to live life by seeking Him daily and watching for those doors of opportunity to open where He wants you to go. You are divinely usable when you are divinely ruined.
I often hear people talk about how much they want God to use them, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone mention a desire to be humbled, unsuccessful, or ruined. Sometimes, God’s way of giving you direction may be to close doors of escape and give you no other options but to move forward in Him – a completely vulnerable feeling, indeed. To such people, however, God can do mighty wonders through ministry.
As a little girl, I never dreamed of being a Widows’ Minister. I always dreamed of being a wife and mother and having a family. Never once did I dream of being a widow, and neither did you. None of us can control our dreams or our destinies. We were created for a divine purpose, and God leads us through the paths that will enable us to serve the purpose to which He’s called us. Moving forward may mean dying to one dream and allowing God to create a new vision for us. If we pursue the comfortability of our former self, we will find ourselves living an unsatisfied and stagnant life that will eventually stink. Our choice is to determine whether or not to move forward with faith or to live a stinking life of mediocrity.
If you find yourself in a place where you can’t seem to move forward, listen for the Master’s instruction. Opportunities to “Feed His sheep” and “Follow Him” are opening somewhere. Move forward and stand in awe of the work God is doing in which you were unaware. Whether you like it or not, you are “divinely ruined” for His purpose.
Have a blessed day!