Pastor Wayne has been one of the greatest influences on my life to see myself as the Lord does.

Scripture
“Ah, Sovereign LORD,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.” But the LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 1:6-8

Observation
Jeremiah launched his career in heady days. It was like 1933 when Franklin D. Roosevelt became president and university idealists created a New Deal for America. It was like 1961 when John F. Kennedy became president and youth felt they could change the world. It was like 1981 when Ronald Regan became president and young Republicans felt they could upend 50 years of liberalism.

King Josiah was the fresh face in the palace in Jeremiah’s youth. As a 21 year old monarch he was just one year into a campaign to change the national religion back to the faith of Abraham. The reforming king set out to tear down every pagan altar in the land. Jeremiah was not just watching all of this on TV; he was on the picket line for change.

Like the assassination of JFK, within a few years King Josiah would be slain in a battle to save his nation. He was the only king to have died in war. Everyone could remember the spot where they stood when they heard the news that King Josiah was dead. But Jeremiah would live on to the end and beyond.

The prophet’s job was a tough one. He was called not just to speak a message that people did not want to hear, but also to say that even should their hearts change still their nation would be destroyed. The best that anyone could hope for was to escape with his or her life. No one wanted to hear the world was coming to an end, and even the good people cringed that nothing could stop it now.

But Jeremiah stood firm for decades. How?

First, he recognized that his greatest problem was not the hostile audience he had to speak to, but rather his own self-perception. Jeremiah saw himself as Jerry, the little boy. But God’s command to him was that he was in fact Jeremiah the man. He must never speak of himself as a child again.

Each of us struggles with our self-perception. Between Satan and life there are plenty of setbacks to think less of ourselves than we really are. But if we are going to be of any use to the Lord we must begin to see ourselves as he does. That starts by the conscious choice never to give ourselves a petty label again. For Jeremiah it was the command, never to speak of himself as a child again. He was in fact a stonewall that would not fall no matter how many times he was assailed.

Second, Jeremiah had to make the choice to not be afraid. It is of great comfort to know the most often repeated command in the Bible is the call to “fear not.” Fear can paralyze even God. Jesus himself could do no great miracles in his hometown because of their fear without faith. It is strange to think that a fearful person has control not to fear. But he must because God would not command us to do something we are unable to do. We can make the choice not to be afraid.

How? By holding onto the promise. Here it is: “I am with you and will rescue you.” No matter what predicament Jeremiah found himself in he would soon discover that he was immortal until his work was done. In fact Jeremiah outlived most of his critics.

No matter how fearful the circumstances a God-called person has the freedom to say, “The Lord is with me and somehow I am going to come out of this for the better.”

Application
Here I am 45 years old. I’ve been in ministry 25 years. Yet still my view of myself doesn’t always match the Lord’s. I’m doing much better, but I still have work to do. For Jeremiah this was a snap decision. Suddenly he was pushed into the world of men and had to make manly choices. If he could, I can. I choose this day to see myself as God does. For he is with me.

Prayer
Father, can you give me something better than a mirror? It’s your face. If I see you smiling then I know everything is going to be alright. So today I put my trust in you Lord. Today get me through to the other side.