"I’m spare change in God’s pocket. He can spend me any way He wants.” - John Wimber
Our pastor, Steve Lawes, has shared this quote with us several times. I love the image. I have to admit, though, I don’t often love the process, though. When God spends me any way He wants, it is often uncomfortable. God sometimes nudges me to do things I do not like doing, or things I feel are exceptionally difficult.
But with His strength, you see, we can do anything.
Take dealing with difficult people, for example. Most of us are well versed in sarcasm, and we like to show off just how fluent we are and how well we have mastered the language … especially when we are dealing with difficult/toxic people. “Flip a coin,” comes to mind when it comes to a snarky reply. Heads, I go full speed ahead with my sarcasm. Tails, I sit back and keep my mouth shut.
Want to know something? If we were to make it a game and flip a coin with the Holy Spirit, it would be tails, every single time.
Every. Single. Time.
Why?
The Holy Spirit does not jive with sarcasm.
When I align myself with following the Holy Spirit, then I, too, am spare change in God’s pocket and He can spend me any way He wants, as John Wimber once said. But I can guarantee you, God is not going to “spend” me in a battle of the wits. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to be in a snarky battle of the wits, many times; because I believe I could win. I could shut the snarky, mean person down with my comebacks, and truly “put them in their place.”
But what does that prove? It proves my mother was right when I was a teenager when she would tell me, “That smart mouth of yours is going to get you into a lot of trouble.”
When Terry and I do deadlift day, I moan and groan; I dread it and beg to go back to day one, and do arms. But once we start the actual deadlift day workout, I don’t mind it. In fact, I get into it. I do my reps and always pat myself on the back for a job (mostly) well done. Even more difficult and challenging than deadlift day?
Keeping my mouth shut.
I believe God can and will use each and every one of us for great things … if we allow Him to do so. I also believe our stubborn nature can prevent us from being the spare change in God’s pocket.
“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God; as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 (NIV)
It is a process. A daily work in progress, if you will, for us to live doing more and more for Jesus.
More and more for Jesus means less and less for Aimee. More and more for Jesus means God will spend me any way He wants … even if it makes me uncomfortable. In fact, I believe especially when it makes me uncomfortable. Because in doing so, I am following His lead, not mine. I am speaking the love of Jesus, not the sarcastic wit of Aimee.
This is not easy, but it is right. And more than anything, I want to live a righteous life for Him. I am spare change in God’s pocket, and He can spend me any way He wants.