Last Sunday in church I shared about my natural tendency to be shy and introverted. It was almost comical to see the looks on faces when I shared that. After all, it's kind of ironic to declare how shy you are in the middle of a public talk to a large group! Many folks told me afterward that they don't see that characteristic in me at all. My favorite reaction probably came from Craig Boone who shook my hand and said "You! Shy! Yeah Right!". I had to smile because his comment shows just how much God has worked on me and transformed me in the last few years.

It still totally blows my mind that the Lord has placed me where I am today! He has me preaching and teaching in front of public groups, counseling teens and adults, and doing things that were way outside my comfort zone only a few years ago! What an amazing testimony to what God can do with someone who wants to be totally submitted to Him!

Now I'm certainly not saying that I am a perfect example because i am sooooooooooooo far from perfect (as any of my close friends or family can certainly attest!). And I'm also not saying I have arrived at my spiritual destination because I quite frequently stop and/or take steps backwards! But the point is that God has made progress in me, and it is all His doing, not my own!

God has brought me to the place where I have a real love for people rather than a desire to run from them. He has given me a burden for the lost so that I seek out witnessing opportunities instead of dodging them. He has made me want to reach outside my comfort zone and be challenged. These are not things that were originally written into my emotional or psychological DNA. But as I have tried to surrender myself to the Lord, He has been working on me.

I love the verse in 2 Corinthians 4:7 that says: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us". That's what we all are, jars of clay. Chipped pottery. Cracked pots if you will. We don't have much to offer on our own, but when God gets His hands on us, He fills us with some pretty amazing stuff! When we submit to Him, we get to watch as He pours out His glory through us. That's how a shy guy like me can actually be used by God in the lives of others! It's not me that does anything special, but God through me!

I hope you desire this for your own life. It doesn't matter what your weaknesses or failures are, if you submit to God and let Him use you, you will be amazed at what happens! One day you will wake up and think "How in the world did I get here!" and the answer will be, "God brought me!".

Here is a link to a great song that explores this topic. It's a pretty powerful concept that God wants to use us to share His glory with the world! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxaR2sR9dD0