It's not you, it's Him!
Jeremiah ministered roughly 60 years after Isaiah, and his ministry unfolded as Judah moved toward Babylonian captivity. Other prophets ministering around this time included Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Daniel, and Obadiah.
Jeremiah writes: "Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."" Jeremiah 1:4-5
Jeremiah was young when the Lord called him, but God tells him something even more significant: his calling began before he was even born.
What had Jeremiah accomplished? What good had he done?
Jeremiah wasn't chosen because of his greatness. He was chosen because of the Lord.
God had set him apart in his mother's womb, and even while Jeremiah was still young, the Lord didn't shy away from telling him the truth about his calling: "They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you," says the Lord, "to deliver you."" Jeremiah 1:19
Jeremiah wasn't the gift to Judah, even though his ministry would be a tremendous blessing. Neither are we the gift to the church. But we have been chosen.
We must remember that the Lord has His hands on us, even though it's not ultimately about us. It is always for His glory. We simply get to benefit from His call on our lives.
And He never promises that following His call will mean everything is rosy. Jeremiah's calling came with opposition, hardship, and suffering. But God's promise wasn't that Jeremiah would never face trouble. His promise was, "I am with you."
It's not us. It's Him.
So live in His power. Live in His grace. Love from both of those places, not because of who we are, but because of who He is.
-To Know Jesus. To Live on Mission.