“Let God unshell you. And when he does, ‘make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that’ (Galatians6:4, MSG). Don’t miss the opportunity to discover your language.”- Max Lucado
In Chapter 3 (“Let God Unshell You”) of Outlive Your Life, Max Lucado observes that most of use learn ways to insulate ourselves against the hurt of the hurting. Or, as Max phrases it, find a new clamshell when the old one wears out. Pastor Lucado explains:
“Clamshells. We come by them honestly. We don’t intend to retreat from the world or stick our heads in a hole. . . . But the problems are immense (Did you say one billion are poor?), complex (When is helping actually hurting?), and intense (I have enough problems of my own). . . . How can we change when we cant even change our bad habits?”
As a result, it’s tempting to climb in and shut the shell. Yet, on the Day of Pentecost, God placed Jesus’ disciples in the heart of Jerusalem at its busiest time. Furthermore, the book of Acts tells us the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples suddenly. The sovereign Spirit of God never subordinates Himself to timing or technique. Hence, He determines His own agenda.
In addition, the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak in different tongues. Consequently, Max explains, God longs to equip us as well:
“He teaches us the vocabulary of distant lands, the dialect of the discouraged neighbor, the vernacular of the lonely heart, and the idiom of the young student. God outfits his followers to cross cultures and touch hearts. Pentecost makes this promise: if you are in Christ, God’s Spirit will speak through you.”
Finally, Pastor Lucado poses two questions that let God unshell you:
- With whom do you feel most fluent? You answer reveals how God designed you.
- For whom do you feel the most compassion? God gives all of us different burdens. Think about what breaks your heart and makes your pulse race.
Today’s question: What blocks the desire to let God unshell you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: the annotated bibliography of Given: The Forgotten . . . Practice of Blessing
