1. What gives luxury items their value? High-quality leather shoes, for example, become more beautiful with time. As they age, they develop a vintage charm with faded colors, wear, and marks. These items are described as "nicely matured." Luxury items also become more comfortable with use, fitting perfectly over time. Hence, "the best luxury items are not the newest."
2. Who are the worshippers God finds least beautiful? The unblemished ones. Those who treat worship like a display at a shopping mall. While God loves everyone, He favors those who bear scars from aligning their will with His, choosing faith over money, commitment over comfort, and submission over victory.
3. We can live comfortable Christian lives without challenges. But if we live by truth, faith, grace, and love, discomfort will outweigh physical pleasure. True worshippers do not fear getting dirty; they frequently fail while trying to obey God’s will, and to God, they are precious.
“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
4. Paul understood this well. He was broken for the gospel and scarred for the cross, yet he rejoiced in his weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. He wanted to be a vessel used by God.
5. Today, I wore Timberlands, popular boots initially made for farmers and factory workers in the U.S. Though clunky and heavy at first, they mold to the wearer’s feet over time, becoming more attractive as they get dirty. If kept pristine, they lose their appeal.
6. What is being holy the most before God? Holiness is not just a state without sin but the inertia of faith striving to act according to God's will. Paul desired to be a vessel used by God, not just a displayed luxury item.
“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NIV)
7. Paul was someone who nailed his will to the cross when it clashed with God's will, bearing the scars of obedience. Such people fit perfectly in God’s hand, becoming mature worshippers. In Galatians 6, Paul boasted of the marks of Jesus on his body.
8. Consider David, who defeated Goliath and endured suffering without seeking revenge against Saul. Though he longed to build a temple, God did not allow it due to the bloodshed in his life. Despite his failures, God called David “a man after my own heart.”
“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22 (NIV)
9. God didn’t choose David for his perfection or achievements but because David was in sync with God's heart. David’s era of warfare paved the way for Solomon's era of peace.
10. At 23, I committed myself to starting the Jesusholic mission. It was a time filled with both scars and happiness in ministry. Over time, I feared burnout and the scars of my sins, which led to hesitation in preaching and encouraging others. I was afraid of further injury and chose comfort over risk. However, true ministry should be driven by God’s calling, not people’s approval. Despite the challenges, that period was one of the happiest times in my life. Though I was inexperienced in both personality and ministry, God used me. I focused solely on the calling God gave me, disregarding criticism and focusing on worship. This eventually led to burnout, and the scars of my sins and desires became apparent. Since then, I've been hesitant to preach with vision and passion, fearing failure and criticism. However, I realized that true ministry is about following God's calling with unwavering faith, despite the potential for wounds.
11. I believe God wants me to return to a battleground, not a comfortable state. I seek an unstoppable faith that charges forward despite potential failure. This is the promised truth that our church will hold for the next journey.
“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to His anointed. He answers him from His heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of His right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call!” Psalm 20:6-9 (NIV)
12. The Holy Spirit asks us today: Will we be satisfied with simply declaring our love for God in church, or will we offer ourselves to be used by Him? We must become scarred Christians, not pristine tools, showing our true selves at the cross, repenting, and returning to the battlefield. Warriors’ rewards lie not in palaces but in the battlefields.
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