Turning Woe-Is-Me into Why-Not-Me

“Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Joshua 14:10-12

 

 

♫ “Gloom, despair and agony on me;

Deep, dark depression; excessive misery. ♪

If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all;

♪ Gloom, despair and agony on me.” ♫

No, you won’t find these words in the Book of Job.

They are not to be found anywhere in the Bible.

Those are the words to a humorous country song that used to be sung on a 1960’s television show called “Hee-Haw”.

But those same words (at least the thoughts and attitude behind them) sometimes hold believers from doing anything significant for the Kingdom of God.

To be able to take risks for God and achieve His purposes for my life I must get rid of the ‘woe-is-me’ attitude and replace it with a ‘why-not-me’ attitude.

I did not say an arrogant, proud attitude. In fact, it is just the opposite. Too often the man or woman stuck on a “God could never use little ole’ me” mindset is really suffering from a destructive self-centered attitude.

You see it is not about you.

It is about His work in you.

Peter walked on water because He asked Jesus to invite him to come to Him.

As long as his eyes were fastened on the Lord – he walked on the water.

How about you?

Can God call you to a task greater than your own power and ability?

Can He call you to a task with some ‘risk’ of failure?

If I want to achieve God’s purposes, I must believe that He can use me.

Even more, I must believe that He will use me.

‘He can’ still leaves room for doubt.

‘He will’ creates risk that is answered by faith.

Caleb didn’t suffer from a woe-is-me attitude.  

At the age of 85, it was still – Why not me!

How about you?