In Acts 2:42, we have a revealing glimpse of the emerging Church and the priorities of its people: “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (NKJV). We see here that fellowship requires involvement in the lives of others. It is literally partnership and participation. In true fellowship, one person joins with another and stands with that person until the situation he or she is facing turns around.
We can impart the grace that dwells within us to lift up the people we encounter and interact with every day. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29 NKJV). Our words will carry the grace God has deposited in us and plant it in the heart of the one to whom we fellowship.
The more we nurture the grace and gifts we have received, the greater our impact will be and the broader our influence will become. Our service to God will become evident as we serve His grace to those around us. So let God’s grace be established in our hearts. As we do, we will be free to flourish and grow into the person He has created us to be by His grace.
Take Zerubbabel for example who was a godly governor who ruled over Judah. One of the greatest challenges of his life came when King Cyrus of Persia commissioned him to oversee the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem.
Although it was an honor to have been entrusted with this very important task, he knew that he needed a word from God’s prophet Zechariah in order to take hold of his new position with confidence. The prophet Zechariah assured him:
“This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit,” saith the Lord of hosts. “Who art thou, O great mountain? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it” (Zechariah 4:6-7 KJV).
God was seeking a man who would rely on Him for the ability and wisdom to fulfill His plans. He was not looking for someone who would look to his own natural might or power to try to accomplish God’s will.
What we do in God’s Kingdom will only remain and bear fruit as we fulfill our assignment by the Spirit of God and not by human effort alone. It is said, “God is looking not for ability, but for availability.” He searches for those whose hearts are turned toward Him and who want only to please and obey Him.
Even when we have an obedient heart, a mountain will often seem to stand between us and the direction in which we know God wants us to go. Just like Zerubbabel, we may have received a divine commission to complete a particular assignment or make a personal change. Nevertheless, we may encounter some very real roadblocks in our path as we endeavor to do what God has asked us to do.
God’s plans can seem overwhelming from the human point of view. If we focus on our own lack of ability, we will see only mountains. We must see our situation through God’s eyes and what He promises in His Word in order to stretch beyond the limits of our ability and draw instead upon the infinite resources of His ability.
