In the early 1800’s there was a British woman by the name of Fanny Kemble who moved to this country and married a southern plantation owner named Pierce Butler. Probably never heard of her, right? Well Fanny lived a luxurious life here in the United States until she began to realize that her life style was on the backs of her husband’s slaves that worked the plantation.
When Fanny compared the life she led to that of the slaves that labored all around her she was deeply troubled. Her reservations grew as did the family tension and she eventually divorced her husband. She wrote a lot about the treatment of slaves and her writings were passed among abolitionists and eventually they were published in 1863. Due to her opposition to slavery, the former wife of a slave owner became known as “The Unlikely Abolitionist.”
As I read God’s Word and I see those Christians doing amazing work for the Kingdom I am reminded of how often God is full of wonderful surprises. He regularly uses those least likely, he uses the least likely circumstances to accomplish His purposes. Paul wrote, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise: God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
This should remind us that God, in His grace, in His understanding, can and will use anyone. That’s you and I regardless of where we have been, regardless of our finances, regardless of anything God will use us. If we will allow His work to be done in us, we might be surprised at what He can do through us. He only desires willing hearts, ready to be used.
Sharing His Spirit, tRP
the Rear Pew 