It’s funny how the Lord works through us when we least expect it and quite frankly momentarily would prefer not to be…
It had been a busy couple of weeks with a work conference followed by a course (it seemed like a good idea at the time, to save on travel time), when on the last morning, the morning I felt at my absolute worst due to my chronic illness (having got steadily worse as the week went on), I found myself sat alone opposite John (not his real name) at the breakfast table. I was hoping to wake up slowly—as I ate my egg, bacon and trimmings and sipped my coffee, I felt absolutely awful—however, this was not to be…
I sensed that he wanted to ask me something spiritual, and I thought, how ironic it was that this would happen now after all the time spent doing the course and socialising over the past four days. So, I fired up a prayer for help and smiled inside thinking how typical this was of God—what a sense of humour he seems to have—proving yet again that it’s His strength we operate in, not our own.
““My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT
He asked about my work and during our conversation he brought up the word Salvation, intelligently referring to it as something I bring as an evangelist, so I asked him what he thought it meant (giving me the opportunity to finish my breakfast).
He gave quite a comprehensive response, the gist being, that if you have found something to live for (from any of a number of religions) which you find works for you—so for him salvation was finding your own peace/coping mechanism in some form or other in one of those, or so I ascertained from his answer—then you would want others to know about it too; I think he had muddled salvation with evangelism, but nevertheless it was a well thought out answer.
I replied that this could also be true of many non-religious activities too; that people can find a purpose and a reason to live for in many things, like charity work for example, or family or a cause of some sort, but that Christianity offers something which all else did not — namely, forgiveness for sins and a God who comes to us, and is objectively, provably, not subjectively, true. I referred to the resurrection on this point:
With Easter approaching I gave him a couple of reasons we can trust in the resurrection of Jesus: non-christian historians mention it and why would people be willing to die for something they knew was made up, for example?
Sensing time was short as lectures were due to start, I asked him if he knew what was meant by the fall (I was attempting to show him the link between the advent of death — at the fall — and the resurrection which leads back to life in Christ again), he had a vague notion of an apple being eaten in the garden of Eden (It’s always helpful when someone has some knowledge that you can springboard off of, as it can save a lot of time and explanations). I was able to describe how Adam and Eve’s disobedience separated them from Gods presence and how death entered the equation. I then explained that the Cross was how this curse was undone; that the sin which separates us from God was dealt with by Jesus on the Cross; that He has taken what we deserve for our sin upon Himself—like a substitute—and that now we can be back in relationship with God again if we trust in Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.
Suddenly, it was time to go to the classroom for the last morning of the course, so there was no more time to explain things more fully. I marvelled, though, that having prayed for an opportunity, God gave it to me at my worst and weakest possible moment. God in His faithfulness and providence enabled one person to hear the Gospel through me, a broken vessel, as I tried to eat my breakfast, feeling like I could barely function.
“That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:10
God is always able to use us when we are willing, even if the timing isn’t to your preference. We discover in the end, that although God does His work through us, He doesn’t need us to be at our ‘humanly’ best, He will use you now, in whatever condition you find yourself in—if you let Him.
Therefore, one can never boast…
Walking With the Word 
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