Friday, February 11, 2011

Simply Serve

"I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; and from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about, what I have planned, that I will do." -Isaiah 46: 10-11
This verse has been a frequent reminder of the Lord's sovereignty these past few months. For me it has been easy to get overwhelmed with all the things I am doing. God has slowly but surely let me figure this one out on my own; that in my own power I have nothing to offer these people here. I can't change people, people's circumstances, or the way people think. All I have to offer people is the love that God has poured into me for HIS people. All I can do is be an example of love to people who have never experienced that kind of raw powerful emotion. All I can be is a light in the darkness and an arrow pointing towards God's arms open wide.  God is revealing to me that even though he is behind me in the work I am doing, He does not NEED me. God will fulfill ALL his plans with or without me. It is such a humbling realization. Oftentimes when I become involved in DOING a lot my pride starts to get in the way of seeing God move. 
Sometimes the call to be the hands and feet of Jesus can be as simple as "Just Serve" or "Just Love".  Many times I think the call has to be extravagant or extraordinary! And God does have extraordinary things planned for us, but we tend to forget the preparation period. That in order to make us great leaders, we must first become servants who serve with no ulterior motive other than to be the hands and feet and bring glory to God. I am reminded of the story of David in 1 Samuel, where he was prophesied to be king and was told that Saul had lost God's favor. However, David served Saul with no questions asked, and was content serving where he was.  Simply serving doesn't always usually have much spotlight or get much attention, but God prefers this method many times because He is teaching us to let go of our pride, to humble us, and to mold us into people who have a servants heart. Because once we learn how to truly give up ourselves and serve selflessly, God will lead us into situations where we will think "How can I use my leadership and authority to serve more"? 
God is raising up leaders everywhere who know how to serve. 

1 comment:

  1. Hey Kendall,
    Send me an email at your convenience.
    Tim

    ReplyDelete