The desire to serve God has been instilled in me since I was just a kid. Both of my grandpas were pastors, and my parents were both really active lay people in the church. Not only did we have to go to church every time the doors were open, but we also had to teach Sunday school, or work in any other ministry we were qualified for. I just knew that we had to do things for God.
I don’t think I’ve ever really evaluated that idea until recently. I mean, I just knew that I wanted to set the world on fire for God. That I was going to do so much for God.
But here is what makes me question that: God doesn’t need me. God can get along just fine without Cailyn Dawn Stevens. God has everything under control. “God is not served by men’s hands as if He needed anything.
But He gives to us life, breath, and all things.” (Acts 17:25)
Now wait a second. Sure God needs me. Look at how great I am. I mean, I study a lot, and then I know all sorts of things in my big brain so that I can tell people stuff. God needs my big brain so that I can tell other people who have big brains all about Him and then they will believe and then they will serve God too. And I am just so nice. I mean really. I go out of my way to talk to people, like janitors and people in the fast food place taking my order, so that I can be really nice to them and show them God’s love. God needs me to do that, because I am just so nice and awesome.
Hmm, Cailyn, I think you’re missing the point. Because the way you just said that, well, you have an awful lot of pride. You think a lot of yourself, and you think that you are doing great things for God, when really, you are doing great things for Cailyn.
God doesn’t need me? God doesn’t need me. God can accomplish anything He wants to on His own, because he has all the might, all the power, all the authority. He has got it all. What does He need me for?
Here is where the switch must go off in our brains. I don’t do things for God. I do things because of God, because of the amazing love that has been given to me, and the transformation that God has done in my life. My only response to this great, holy God, who has galaxies worshiping him, is to realize, I am vastly unworthy, but I worship my God. I must worship. The moon and the stars are declaring the glory of God, and I must join them. I must worship with my life. I must worship with my words. I must worship with my deeds. I don’t serve God because He needs me to; I serve God because that is my response to who He is and to what He has done in my life.
Live because of God.
It is sobering to know God doesn't have a need for anything; yet it is a Glorious thought that He chooses to use that which He created (man and woman)to show His glory through. I tell God: You Lord did not only create us, but you tend to our every need, because You know how needy we truly are. It surprises people to know that God is without pride. Pleasing God is so different than how the world believes He should be pleased. Truly Faith in Him, Faith in His Word, Faith to live by His Word, Faith to do what is Right by God instead of what is right by us, Faith in knowing that ALL of what we do because of Him may be burned up in front of Him; yet our Joy will be because of understanding: it is, it was, and it will always be His Works in us, and we were willing for those works to produce Good Fruit, that we may always be Glorifying Him.
ReplyDeleteOf myself I am unable to do anything... but through Christ I am able. A seed of Christ may be sown through man's hands, and the seed may be nourished by another one sent, yet the WORK which may be seen will only come from God. He is deserving of this Glory.
You will serve Him to your best of ability... keep listening for His voice and follow Him... He will take you places others will not understand... yet go anyway... even in the darkest of nights look up... He will be there.
Blessing be upon you in the Name of our Lord Jesus. Amen