Ernest Smith

Lesson One…

Over the last seven months, I have had the honor and privilege to speak at many different opportunities.  I have had the privilege of speaking to a bunch of Citadel cadets on a retreat, a group of over 300 students from Clemson University, who were sold-out for Jesus and on a mission trip in D.C., a FCA retreat geared toward the top college athletes in the Southeast, a camp full of middle/high school students who were passionate for Jesus and an all girls’ basketball camp that was truly a learning experience.

As I reflect back on each of these opportunities, as well as the many chances to speak at my church, I simply wanted to jot down some of my thoughts.  I am going to put these thoughts in a series of posts, entitled ”Camps, Retreats and Much, Much More.”  These simple truths I learned might be helpful to you, and I hope they are, but I know the exercise helped me in a lot of ways.

The first truth I learned in this process was that of humility.  I can’t help but be truly humble that God would choose to use me in any way such as this to help advance His Kingdom.  I know who I am.  I know my sins, I know my mistakes, I know the countless times I have said the wrong thing to my wife, acted like a jerk
on the road or thought things that would not have brought glory to God.  So for God to use me, a man of many sins and mistakes, it is truly a humbling experience.

I also know my true abilities.  I remember those few awkward reports in high school where I would have to stand in front of the class sharing something I had written and my hands would be shaking so bad that I could barely read the text on my page.  I remember the first time I spoke at youth group and the nerves were there, like they are every time I speak, but the words flowed so easily, that I knew it was not me, but rather God was speaking.  God continually shows me who I really am and how much I am in desperate need of Him.

Knowing how much I am in need of Jesus and how I used to be deathly afraid of public speaking, I am truly honored that God would choose to use me as His mouthpiece and that people would come to Christ and be strengthened in their faith because of God choosing to use my mouth to speak words of truth and life.  The first lesson I learned from camps, retreats and much, much more is a lesson I constantly need to learn…a lesson of humility.