Junk in Our Trunk - Part 3

This will probably be my last installment of the Junk in Our Trunk thought - I think (that just means I reserve the to add something I forgot or something else I learned and thought needed to be added).

This post is a struggle for me in a way. I believe God, in His soveriegnty, can decide to use anyone He chooses to expand His Kingdom on earth. But I am also well aware of certain boundaries and cautions that need to be explored before fully accepting or placing someone in a place of leadership. I think Godly wisdom and council should prevail, though I struggle with where do we place the boundaries. Here are some guidelines I have considered:

1. First and foremost, is it biblical?
   
2. Is placing a person in place of ministry contributing to their struggle? I wouldn't put someone with a history of child abuse serving with children
3. Does it create a security risk for the families of the church? - See #1
   
4. Is the standard a matter of redemption or rule made by the church?
5. Would it harm the church - the bride of Christ?
   

So with this in mind I continue.

As I read through the Bible and look at the lives of the people God used for His purposes, I see imperfect people, some with a "past".

Let's look at a few:

• Abraham was a liar and slept with his wife's servant
• Moses killed a man
• Rahab was a prostitute God used to hide the spies in the defeat of Jericho
  
• Jacob was a con-man
• David was a murderer and adulterer
• Paul was guilty of harassing Christians and stood by and watched as Steven was stoned
• Matthew, as a Roman IRS agent, was despised by his own people and yet was put on Jesus' leadership team

These are just a few of the many people with a "past" God has used throughout history for His purposes. . .to expand His Kingdom here on earth.

Isn't amazing how we think someone's past or experiences or family history or almost anything we can find can keep them from being servants of God, even leaders. I find it dumb-founding that we can tell someone they can't be used by God because of a mistake they made along the way.

Shhhh. . .(in a soft whisper) Listen - Do we need to tell God? I don't think He knows He's not supposed to be using these kinds of people.

Am I glad someone didn't tell a guy like John Baker, a former alcoholic. If they had Celebrate Recovery Ministry may have never been born.

I'm glad no one never told a guy named Dee Brown, who God rescued from a biker lifestyle only to send him back in to minister to and share the gospel with these same guys. I know there's some junk in this man's trunk.

There may be someone in your life you're glad no one ever told they couldn't be used by God because of the junk in their trunk.

You know, it's funny how soon we often forget about our own junk in our trunks. Here's a list of junk, see if any might be found in your trunk:

• Anger management issues
• Adultery
• Lust
• Pornography
• Lying
• Exagerating the truth
• Pride
• Addictive behavior - you name it (alcohol, drugs, food, bad relationships, etc.)
  
• Gossipping
• Manipulation
• Divorce
  
• Co-dependency
• Approval issues
• Stealing
• Control Issues
  

And the list goes on. Find any in the list that someone may find in your trunk?

You know what's funny? You dragging it around like no one sees it. You know what's even sadder? You're pointing everyone else's out while you're dragging yours around like no one can see it.

God still uses who He chooses. Maybe we should get better at addressing our own junk, before we are so quick to point out someone else's junk. Jesus said something like this as well.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Matthew 7:1-5

I think we could replace speck with junk and replace eye with trunk and we would come up with same thing. Think?

Here's another thought. M-a-y-b-e-e-e-e. . .we should stop putting up man-made rules, rituals, and regulations and just accept the fact that we all have some junk in our trunk, pray for one another, extend grace to one another, and live life for God. Hmmmm. . .

Hey - do these jeans make my trunk look big?
Mike