Begin to Begin

I was recently cleaning my home office bookshelf and came upon a book that I loved and hated. The book was titled, “George Whitefield: God's Anointed Servant in the Great Revival of the Eighteenth Century,” by Arnold Dallimore. This was the story of George Whitefield, perhaps America’s greatest evangelist and revivalist. Historians credit the preaching of Whitefield, along with John and Charles Wesley, as being the catalyst to the first “Great Awakening” in America. 
 
Whitefield was known for his open-air preaching and evangelism. Often drawing crowds of twenty to thirty thousand people, he could captivate and spellbind the unruliest crowd with his booming voice. David Garrick, Britain’s most acclaimed actor, once said, “I would give a hundred guineas if I could say ‘Oh’ like Mr. Whitefield.” In fact, Benjamin Franklin, who befriended Whitefield, asked for prayers and received counsel from him that was invaluable during the writing of the Declaration of Independence. 
 
What made Whitefield great was his singular drive and conviction to share the gospel as often as he could and wherever he went. In less than thirty-four years of ministry, it is estimated that Whitefield preached eighteen thousand sermons and was heard by as many as ten million people. This was in a time without social media, sound amplification and travel by way of horse and carriage. It is said that about 80 percent of all American colonists heard him preach at least once. Other than royalty, he was perhaps the only living person whose name would have been recognized by nearly every colonial American. He was truly America’s first celebrity.
 
Dallimore says, “His whole life may be said to have been consumed in the delivery of one continuous, or scarcely interrupted sermon.” Among those influenced by Whitefield’s preaching were Jonahan Edwards and a young William Wilberfroce. 
 
What a legacy!! He truly fulfilled the words of Jesus when he said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15)
 
You may ask, “Why would you hate this?” What drove me crazy about the book was how inadequate, small and insignificant I felt compared to him. I questioned why God would even call me to do anything? As I was reading, at one point in time, I even went through a mental checklist of the many ways in which I fell short of him. 
 
However, towards the end of the book, the Holy Spirit spoke to my weary heart and said the following, “It’s true! You are not George Whitfield! You don’t have his gifts, skills or talents. BUT you are Adrian Bucur. I have given you unique skills, gifts and talents, and I have created you with a distinct purpose and plan. Live for God to your fullest ability.”
 
I remember weeping with the book in hand, praying this prayer, “Thank you God for this reminder! Please forgive me for selling myself short. Use me how You see fit!” Then I came across this quote from Whitefield himself, “Lord, help me to begin to begin.”
 
I want to encourage you "to begin to begin." Just begin by using the gifts and abilities God gave you! Our modern version of this is, “keep on keeping on!” We all have a sphere of influence that God wants to use us in.  Don’t worry about the outcome, that’s God’s business. Use your gifts for God and you will see a change in your outlook. 
 
Lord help us live to our fullest abilities!