Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

“Serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.”— Acts 20:19 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

When Paul described his ministry to the Ephesian elders, he didn’t boast about miracles, churches planted, or crowds reached. Instead, he spoke of humility, tears, and trials. Those aren’t usually the highlights we list on a ministry résumé—but for Paul, they were marks of faithfulness.

Discipleship doesn’t happen through pride or polish. It happens through honesty. Paul’s openness about his weakness didn’t make him less credible; it made him more relatable. He served the Lord with a genuine heart, not pretending to have it all together but trusting God’s strength to work through his brokenness.

The same grace that sustained Paul sustains us. God doesn’t use perfect people—He uses real people. When we’re humble enough to admit our struggles, others see that following Jesus isn’t about flawless performance but faithful dependence. Our tears and trials become testimonies that point to the sufficiency of Christ.

Discipleship is about walking together through both joy and pain, success and failure. The more honest we are about where we fall short, the more clearly others can see the One who never fails.

Reflection Questions

1. How does being honest about your struggles help others trust Jesus more deeply?

2. What area of pride or self-reliance do you need to surrender to God today?

Closing Prayer

Lord, thank You for using imperfect people like me. Teach me to serve You with humility and honesty. Help me to lead and disciple others not from pride, but from grace. May my weakness reveal Your strength and my tears testify to Your faithfulness. Amen.