Previous articles in this series have revisited times in my life when God showed me what he was doing to prepare me for his purposes. I was not passive in any of those times, but the outcome was never dependent on what I did.
Today I want to look ahead for a potential further step in my journey. What if I could become fully trusted by God? I could serve him in any situation because I had been prepared for it.
That hope is offered to us in the images of bowls, dishes, pots, and pans. "In a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay . . . . So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Timothy 2:20-21 CSB).
Beyond Our Imagination
It would be arrogant for us to make this up. We would more likely imagine ourselves to become gods (which would be a deadly sin, not a good thing). God, however, sees trusting us as a real thing, and holds it out as his plan for us.
God has saved us from our sin by uniting us with Christ by faith. He continues to pour his righteousness into us by the power of the Holy Spirit. He expects us to take our rightful role as kings and priests under his authority to co-rule with him over creation. And yet we remain finite humans.
The process of our spiritual journey is to get closer to God, to know and understand his character, his purposes, and his glory. As we grow, we become more accurate representations of God himself. Since God's righteousness is infinite, we will never know it all. We will certainly not exhibit it all.
Faithfulness in what we have attained opens up more ability to respond, in the form of greater trust that God invests in us. I wonder what it would look like to be fully trusted by God.
I come up with two images that appeal to me.
An Ambassador with "Plenipotentiary Authority"
The designation of "plenipotentiary authority" was more common in the past when travel and communication were delayed by weeks and months. Even then it was a rare occurrence.
A government would send its representatives to another country, granting them full power of discretion to make agreements in the name of the government and its people. The delegates would not need to send a letter of details for officials to consider, debate, and decide. The delegates were trusted to know the values, policies, conditions, and wishes of their homeland well enough to make decisions relating to the host country on the spot. Their decision implicated the full agreement by all those they represented back home.
During the American war of independence, the Continental Congress sent Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin to several European countries with plenipotentiary authority. (At that time, these delegates were not very successful in gaining the desired agreements from most of those countries. America was still a bit "iffy.")
It would not seem safe for God to give such authorization to people like you and me--at least on this side of the resurrection. We are so ignorant, so self-centered, and so short-sighted. We are basically omni-nothing, while he is omni-everything.
On the other hand, when has God chosen to "play it safe"? He didn't take the safe route at creation. He took risks in the Incarnation. He entered into danger when he called the disciples.
Jesus shows divine confidence in us by saying, "As the Father has sent me, I also send you" (John 20:21). “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. You go, therefore, and make disciples" (Matthew 28:18-20).
Have you ever been in a ministry situation that was a little awkward and complicated? You felt inadequate to deal with someone's problem. There was no teleprompter giving you wise advice to pass along. You had to do the best you could with what you already knew. And, somehow, God used you in that person's life.
God gives us the authority of his Name. He opens up his resources for our ministry in prayer, telling the gospel, and persuading people. We have his Word to renew our minds. God's Spirit empowers our ministries. His Righteousness works in us through the Holy Spirit.
We know that our authority as God's representatives does not include the authority to control how others respond to the gospel. As much as we hope they repent and believe, we can't force them to make the right decision. We faithfully present the case for the Lord's will. We leave the results in God's hands.
A "No-Look" Pass
If you follow team sports, you know what a "no-look" pass is. It is the highest degree of teamwork. It happens when two or more teammates know the game well enough, see the situation on the field or court in the same way, and execute an uncalled play with precision for an easy score. It is awesome to watch.
Knowing what the defense is going to do, the wide receiver changes his route to go to the exact spot where the quarterback is going to throw the ball. The quarterback throws it there because he knows that the wide receiver is going to be there for the touchdown. It happens in basketball, hockey, soccer, and other sports, too.
It happens, only because the players know and trust each other. They know the game well enough to see things most players don't see. They have talked about it. They have practiced it. They have a track-record of running plays and understanding what they are doing. They know the same things, they think the same way, they anticipate what the other will do.
Just for the fun and excitement, I want to be part of a spiritual "play" like that, executing a spiritual victory as a teammate with God. It would be an extra bonus if it also involved people I have spent time with in Bible study, prayer, discipleship, and building into each other's lives.
My hope is to keep growing in my spiritual journey to reach the milestone of God trusting me.
May your spiritual journey be focused on knowing, ever more thoroughly and accurately, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent. Go under the Authority.