Ready to Serve?

But the Spirit entered into me and set me on my feet, and he spoke with me and said to me, “Go, shut yourself within your house. And you, O son of man, behold, cords will be placed upon you, and you shall be bound with them, so that you cannot go out among the people.    Ezekiel 3:24-25 ESV

(See also Ezekiel 3:26-27, 4:4-12, 24:15-18; Jeremiah 27:1-2; Isaiah 20:2-3; Hosea 1:2, 3:1-2)

It's that time of year again...

My annual read through the Bible has me at that point where the Lord is giving odd, difficult, uncomfortable, and humiliating assignments to the prophets.  These assignments are so very different from what comes to my mind when I think about the ways I'd like to serve God!

And that is probably where my thinking really begins to go awry.

By definition, "service" has very little - nothing, really - to do with what I would like.  Service is about someone else.  It's about following someone else's instructions.  To serve is to set aside what I want or think in order to fulfill another's request or interest.

Webster's definition of serve is to work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or statedly for the benefit of; to do service for; to be in the employment of, as an inferior...

So quite simply, doing "what I want" is not really service at all.

In my morning Scripture reading, I saw Ezekiel get instructions about being tied up in his own house, unable to speak except when God would temporarily heal his tongue long enough for him to share a prophecy.  After getting free from that assignment, Ezekiel was sent to lie on his left side, again tied up so that he couldn't turn over.  Thankfully he'd only be stuck in that position for a little over a year (390 days), and then he'd be allowed to turn over on his right side for forty more days!  He was instructed to measure out about a cup of food to eat daily, prepared in a most unappetizing manner (see Ezekiel 4:12-15), and he would have less than three cups of water to drink each day.  

Around the same time this was going on with Ezekiel, Jeremiah was given the privilege (?!) of putting an ox yoke (a big, heavy wooden collar) and walking around with that on his neck.

Plenty of other unpleasant instructions were given to the prophets.  Isaiah was called to walk around naked and barefoot for three years.  Hosea was instructed to marry a prostitute, and when she left him to return to prostitution, God told Hosea to bring her back and continue to love her.  Ezekiel will eventually lose his wife as a sign to rebellious people, and he will be denied the chance to mourn the loss.  

That is what service looked like for the prophets.  

It wasn't Christian service as we think of it today.  We think that we are "serving God" when we "give up" two hours a month to help out in some area of ministry in our local churches.  Posting Scripture on social media, giving a couple of bucks to the homeless guy on the street corner, volunteering to help at some church event, bringing a dish for the potluck - these are our acts of service.  

And these are certainly good things to do.  I don't mean to suggest that anyone should stop doing these things.

But I wonder...

Is it really fair to consider these little token actions "service"?

And so, I'm torn.  When I pray that God would open doors for me to serve Him, am I really prepared for Him to answer?  Truthfully, I want to do things that are pleasant and that fall into the category of "things I enjoy."  I'd kind of like to serve in fun and convenient times and ways.

I'm not really here with any sort of answers today.  This is just something I'm thinking about, and something I would challenge us all to think about a bit more seriously.  What are we really prepared to do to serve God?

We are living in unusual times.  Provision and comfort look a little different each day.  And as Christians, none of this should really take us by surprise.

So today, let's take an honest look at what following the Lord really looks like.  Let's not fall into disillusionment and discouragement as life happens and things don't play out in the ways that we'd hoped.  As we remember the prophets, let's be grateful for the relative comfort God has afforded us, while seeking to know and serve Him better.

...Just a thought...

No Wrong Moves

I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.     Jeremiah 10:23 ESV

As I read this verse this morning, I was not sure quite what to make of it.  I mean, I had highlighted the verse previously, so it immediately stood out to me as I read.  But the words seemed very applicable to the thoughts that were already swirling in my head. 

As I contemplated, I thought it might be helpful to view the verse in another translation…

NLT: I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own.  We are not able to plan our own course.

NIV: Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.

Well, I determined that I was understanding the verse correctly, but still I had questions (still HAVE questions!) in light of current circumstances of life.  I mean, am I not supposed to make plans?  How am I supposed to know which way to go?

We’ve just made some pretty significant life change.  We’ve moved to a new state, new jobs, new terrain, new struggles.  We’ve done a lot of praying, a lot of thinking, and a lot of decision-making.  While we’ve taken steps with great trepidation and care, we have stepped in the direction we felt we should go.

We’ve also done A LOT of second-guessing!

In this season of change, Jeff and I seem frequently to be asking ourselves and each other, “Did we make the right move?”  It’s fair to say that we’ve been feeling a little off-balance…

But as I’ve continued to consider Jeremiah’s words, I began to understand them as a simple commentary on the sovereignty of God.  And I began to take comfort.

 

About a month ago, I applied for a job that I was certain would be offered to me.  At my interview, a position with the agency was all-but offered.  I left with promise of a confirmation call later in the afternoon.  The call never came.

 I rationalized that they got busy.  For the next week I told myself that they had listened when I said I would be out of town for the week and were probably waiting to call me after I returned.  There was no doubt in my mind that this agency would consider me a valuable addition to their team and would certainly offer me the job.  I had some reservations as to whether or not I would accept the job (thus I had waited and not immediately followed up with them), but I could not imagine that they wouldn’t call me back. 

The position the agency was looking to fill is not the sort of job people are beating down the door to get.  It’s the kind of job where, if you get a warm body, you generally hire the person.  If you get someone who is experienced and capable, you count yourself fortunate and move heaven and earth to convince them to work for you.

About a week ago, I got a notification from Indeed that the agency decided not to move forward with my application.  Seriously -  I got a notification from Indeed!  No call from the lady who said she’d call me the same day.  No email thanking me for making the long drive to the location and taking the time to meet with them.  Just an automated email from an online search engine notifying me that someone had gone in and unchecked a box to indicate that they were not interested in hiring me.

I’ll admit, I was a little ticked off!  I had decided I didn’t actually want the job, and I’d already lined up work that seemed more interesting and far less stressful.  But I was still annoyed. And I remain confused.  I cannot figure out any reason – good or bad – that this agency would not have tried to hire me with the qualifications I brought to the table. 

Jeremiah had my reason: God directs my steps.  

That’s what I said I wanted.  I asked Him to do that.  I prayed before sending the application.  I prayed before, during, and after the interview.  I asked.  God answered.

 

Sometimes, I think we all get really worried about making a wrong decision.  We worry that we’ll choose the wrong college, marry the wrong person, buy the wrong house, take the wrong job, pick the wrong restaurant for lunch after church on Sunday.  For me, all through life, that fear of making a wrong decision has left me prone to indecision.  I avoid making unnecessary commitments, and I procrastinate on making necessary ones.  As Charlie Brown of Peanuts was often told, “You’re too wishy-washy!”

Am I the only one?  

I am so encouraged today by Jeremiah’s words.  I’m not ultimately the one who is planning my course.  Yes, I make choices moment by moment, day by day.  I worry and question and think and overthink EVERYTHING!  I’m so afraid of making a wrong move!  But I cannot make a decision that is going to thwart God’s plan, which ultimately means that I CANNOT make a wrong move.  I am not powerful enough to mess up what God has willed, and that is such good news!

I am not in control.  And neither are you.  I pray that news will encourage you today.

…Just a thought…