The Pencil

Periodically, there are times in my life when I need to be reminded that my walk with the Lord is not really about me at all. The only thing that has gotten me where I am today is the righteousness of Christ. Without it I would still be lost in sin, miserable and looking for something to fill that emptiness inside of me. The circumstances that I walk through are opportunities for God to pour our His grace because as I call upon Him for help, as I rely on Him - my faith increases. It's not about my talent or my strength or my character - it's only about what God does through me. I am more like the pencil that I use to write these very words that I am any power that directs the pencil. The pencil by itself is just a tool to be used when something needs to be created, recorded, or changed.
I'm just a tool to be used when God needs something spoken aloud, something written or something prayed for. The difference being I am not an inanimate object but rather one that willingly offers itself to be used by Him. Just as it is necessary for a pencil to be sharpened, cutting off that which is not useful in order to get to the viable part inside so too the Lord must remove my flesh, shaving it off, turn by turn, in order to access the Spirit beneath so that the writing tip is exposed. Sharp and to the point, just like a sword.
Using the eraser on a pencil is like a picture of my life being turned upside down. As I am feeling shaken & rubbed the wrong way I need to remember that it's so my story can be rewritten. I can't erase the past but I can erase the power it has over my life. So, I choose to put my head down, I choose to let Him be the author & perfecter of my faith and to even feeling rubbed the wrong way so that I can glorify Him.
Philippians 3:9 " and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith."
The Creator could do it on His own, but instead He chooses us to be held in His hand & we are forever changed. May the cry of our heart be "Use me, O God!"