God-Given Authority

I read Matthew 10:1 today:  “He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”

There are so many things about this verse that fascinate me.  First of all, who are these disciples?  Second of all, why did Jesus give them authority to do these big things?  Third, what does this mean for us today?

It is important to remember that these twelve guys that Jesus chose as His disciples were simple fishermen, tax collectors, and common men that Jesus found wandering around doing their thing.  Their lives were normal, predictable, and safe until Jesus came in and shook things up.  All of a sudden, they were chosen for a purpose by the Creator of the Universe; these simple men were no longer simple men.

How they found themselves in this situation was only by the initiation of God.  They didn’t go out looking for Him or accidently see something that they shouldn’t have.  God stepped into their world, took them by the hand, and led them into a Kingdom much bigger than the little world they had known.  He walked with them, talked with them, and showed them things they did not know.  He called them to find others just like He found them, and He sent them out.

Then this day came when He gave them authority to do the very things that He had been doing all this time:  to drive out evil spirits and to heal disease and sickness.  Why would God entrust His authority to such common men?  Were they special?  Did they have extraordinary faith?  I am not sure.  Perhaps it was for no other reason than the fact that they were chosen and that they obeyed.

Oftentimes, we long to be able to do extraordinary things, and we wonder why we can’t.  Then we look at other people’s lives, seeing how they are doing these things and we wonder what they have that we don’t.  We must remember that it is God who gives authority to whomever He has called to certain situations.  Who can begin to understand the mind of God and why He does the things He does?

I do know, however, that God only entrusts Himself to those who surrender themselves completely to Him.  It is not the people with one foot in the water and the other foot on the shore that He allows into the deeper places of His heart.  It is the people who are ALL IN that He shows Himself to, and until we allow ourselves to be lost in Him, we will be standing on the sidelines wondering what we could have been in Him.  No matter what He entrusts to one person or another, the truth is the same for all who would give everything:  it is a fantastic ride; a grand adventure.  Following Christ with everything I have has cost me everything, but I do not regret it for a second.  The only regrets that I have are the times when I have held back.  His grace has picked me up, and once again the rollercoaster takes off.

Why not let go of everything that you are holding onto?  We do not seek the gift, but the Giver.  Throughout the journey you will face incredible things.  Life as you know it will be gone.  However, a life lived in the power of God will blow your mind.  It will cost you everything, but you will be given far more than you ever gave up.  What you receive in return is not useless stuff that fades away with time.  These things are forever things.  I want to surrender myself completely to God.  I want to experience what it means to be entrusted with something of His.  I want to know His heart and capture His dream.  God has chosen me for a Divine purpose.  I choose to obey.