For years the Lord has been tugging at my heart with the things that He would have me do for Him. My faith and my works have come to walk hand in hand. Yet, as each year as passed on my pride has become the block that has been chipped away at. What I have learned is that what the Lord needs from me most is my faithfulness. While it is so exciting to look to the future to have a “vision” of what is to come, mostly I have found life is a process of taking the moment at hand, and using it for the Lord completely.
Usually, I find, if I don’t “want” to do something in me, it is just where God wants me. Am I willing, not just able, to take all that comes my way and do it for the Lord?
“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4: 10 &11
The question I bring to the table, is do I really care in all that I do that Christ is praised? Do I think that what I deem as “spiritual” is all that is important? Will I have the joy of the Lord as my strength, even in what I consider mundane?
This past week I was presented with two scenarios that in my own strength I had no desire to do. One was “spiritual” and one “practical.” The first involved picking up an inner city woman who is at the bottom AGAIN. Most people I know have told me to give up on her. She did not fit in my schedule. Honestly, I kept hoping she would call me and cancel. She did not. I picked her up AGAIN and we went for coffee. Yet, in her brokenness this became another time that I was able to share how Christ really longs for her whole heart. She poured her life out to Christ. If I had not been faithful to that situation, both of us would have missed out. Later that same week I had to go speak to get volunteers as a local college. I thought we had been invited as part of a panel of many. This too did not fit into my schedule. I needed and wanted to be other places. It’s not a big deal if I don’t go. I thought. We rarely get volunteers from the college anyway. However, I was pressed to go. When I showed up it turned out that UYI was the ONLY organization invited that day. I was able to encourage 40 college students to pursue the mission’s field. I charged them to be fully devoted followers of Jesus. This too would have been lost if I had not been faithful. In both of these the Lord was praised.
“Faithfulness is what I long for…it’s what you want from me…” as the song goes pouring ourselves out to the Lord. He longs for us to take each and every moment that He gives us and use it to the fullest.
Matthew chapter 25 illustrates 3 parables all with the same purpose. One tells of bridesmaids who forgot to put oil in their lamps and therefore were not ready when the bridegroom arrived. One is the story of the “talents.” This is the story of servants who are entrusted with the care of the master’s money while he is away. The moral of the story is summed up in verse 29: “To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who are unfaithful, even what little they have will be taken away.” Finally, there is the story of the “sheep and the goats.” In this Jesus is blatant. He is speaking of how the Lord will treat us when we get to heaven and stand before His throne there will be His faithful followers the “sheep,” and then there will be the unfaithful, “goats.” He cries out to both about their actions here on earth, both as the same question,” hen these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ To both groups he responds the same: “And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Ironically, the “righteous” didn’t even realize that they were doing anything for God. Why? They were just being faithful.
I believe that the Lord put these three together for a reason. We are to be faithful, in EVERYTHING. That means the things we want to do and the things we don’t. It refers to those things we think we have time to do and the things we don’t. Most importantly, I am reminded that the Lord sees all that I do as “spiritual.” He is looking to be praised through a boring meeting, picking the kids up from school, and least of all actually “witnessing.” He expects my life to tell people about Him and if necessary to use words.
So as I go into today, the dreaded Monday, I am excited. This is an opportunity to be faithful. I know that as His name is praised I can only gain the blessings!
