ANSWERING THE CALL TO SERVE

Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Here’s a test. Who said, “Ask not what God can do for you; ask what you can do for God? Actually, I did, but with a little poetic license borrowed from a 20th century, U.S. President.

Throughout Biblical history, many heroes and heroines of the faith looked beyond self gratification and placed themselves in the hands of God to be used for His plan and purpose. Ruth, Esther, Gideon, Joshua, Moses, Deborah, Jeremiah, Mary, Paul, Timothy, Peter – each one offering his or her unique, yet untapped gifts. And when the time came, they carried out great exploits for the sake of a coming Savior and a worthy King.

Most carried little clout within their tribe or amongst their people. That doesn’t matter to God. Joshua was an understudy to a stuttering Moses. Ruth was a transplant from pagan Moab. Gideon’s “clan [was] the weakest in Manasseh, and [he was] the least in [his] family” (Judges 6:15). Even so, the common denominator they shared was an unswerving commitment to be used by God. Their commitment was enough to bring encouragement to those needing it most.


Those willing to be used are just ordinary people placed in the hands of an extraordinary God. You’ve heard the story of how a multitude was fed with five loaves and two fishes, right? But did you know it is only mentioned in John’s gospel account of a child giving up his provisions to feed them (John 6:9)? The Savior used what this boy had and those benefitting from his offering left that mountainside well fed physically, emotionally and spiritually.

It is not the size of the offering, but the willingness to give of oneself in order to be used for a bigger purpose. Upon confirmation, Gideon had ideas of going into battle with thousands; God, however, instructed that “With the three hundred men that lapped [water to their mouths], I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands” (Judges 7:7). And as they say, the rest is HIStory!

What do you have to offer? Great or small, you would be quite surprised what God can do with an unswerving commitment to serve. If you’re like me, you may need a bit of motivation to get you started. Here’s a wonderful opportunity to be used by God and also be a blessing to others. I've put together a modified version of what my church called a "Month of Blessings Calendar." The calendar is formatted for Adobe Reader (.pdf file). Each day during the month of November, follow its daily instructions. At the end of the month, count what you’ve collected and donate the proceeds to…

~ Your church’s benevolent fund
~ Your church’s missionary fund
~ A local charity

In December, let me know how you answered the call to serve God and bless others either through a posted comment or via email!

For those interested in receiving a copy, click here to send an email. In the Subject box, just type "Calendar" and I'll get it out to you!