HOW DO YOU FEEL? (part-01)

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOD ASKING YOU TO SERVE HIM AFTER HE SAVED YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s
grace given me through the working of his power.
(Ephesians 3:7)

MEDITATION:
Paul was persecuting Christians, but suddenly the Lord changed him
into a new person to be used by God for His purposes. Paul’s story is
a dramatic and impactful transformation, but no more than ours when
the Lord changes us.

We might not be the evangelist Paul was, but we can be sure that
when we are changed, God has plans to use us too. What we need
to remember is, when God is using those He saved, we are all
important for His purposes.

If we ignore or decline to respond to His purpose for us, God
can certainly find others who will ‘fill the gap’ caused by our
unwillingness to serve Him. But, like a precious gem, we have
lost something special that God had planned for us, along with
His blessings.

Some of us refuse to surrender to His will because it doesn’t fit
our ideas of how we could serve Him. Quite often His plans will
take us out of our “comfort zone” (which we don’t like), but it is
His way of showing us how much we need to depend on Him and
His encouragement.

Think about those who have been called to be preachers, who may
have served God for years, but have seen only one person saved.
That may seem like a paltry number for the years they have served,
but one person’s eternal destiny has been changed and that’s more
valuable than anything else we can do!!
    remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from
    the error of their way will save them from death
    and cover over a multitude of sins.
    (James 5:20)

When we read about Paul’s new attitude after God changed him,
we can sense the new joy he found and we can see the increase of
his enthusiasm to serve, even though he was persecuted for his
obedience in responding to the Lord’s call.

Look at how unqualified Paul felt about serving the Lord.
    Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,
    (Ephesians 3:8a)

So how did he overcome his feelings of inferiority? Paul
recognized the source of his new path, he knew that it was
a ‘gift’ from God’s grace, he realized the impact and the
importance of his efforts, and he had confidence that God
would not call him to serve without equipping him with
what he needed to ‘get it done’.
    this grace was given me: to preach
    to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ
    (Ephesians 8:3b)

    His intent was that now, through the church, the
    manifold wisdom of God should be made known
    to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
    according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished
    in Christ Jesus our Lord
    (Ephesians 3:10-11)

    In him and through faith in him we may
    approach God with freedom and confidence.
    (Ephesians 3:12)

Preaching to the ‘lowly’ Gentiles (who were not a part of
the ‘elitist’ Jews) was a monumental challenge for anyone,
and especially for someone who had been persecuting
Christians before being changed by God.

God calls each of us to an area of service, and although it may
seem like ‘no big deal’ to others, to us it may seem as huge as
what Paul was called to do. Why? Because, like Paul, we can be 
as uncomfortable as he was when God called him to preach to 
the Gentiles.

Not only did God call him to become a missionary, but Paul
also became an encourager of others. He was sensitive to the
possibility of others becoming discouraged when God calls
them to serve.

Paul knew that the death of Jesus meant that others would
be called to become part of God’s plan as well. He did not
want them to refuse to serve, or to quit serving, when they
witnessed, or heard of, the way he suffered as a result of his
efforts to please the Lord.

He wanted them to know that his mission involved much more
than himself and his desires – it was God’s purpose for him to
follow a new path that would result in benefitting others.
    I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because
    of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
    (Ephesians 3:13)

ACTION:
Just as Paul was called to serve, God has plans for
every individual he changes (saves). If He saved us
for no apparent purpose, then how much have we
really been changed?

When we are given salvation from God, shouldn’t we
have a desire to be used by Him? We might be thinking,
    “No, I don’t need anything else to do”
but deep in our heart, we probably all want Him to show
us how we can contribute to His earthly ministry.

Our greatest challenge to overcome is to accept the area
of service He chooses, because there is a strong possibility
it will be outside of our comfort zone, and most definitely
it will require exchanging selfishness for selflessness.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for thinking that the
salvation You gave me is the end of the story. Help
me to not only appreciate, but to embrace the joy
of knowing that You not only saved me, but You
also created a new path for me to follow that would
benefit others, and give me a new purpose for living.
Thank You for considering me worthy to serve You,
even though I feel unworthy and unqualified. Give
me the confidence and encouragement I need in
order to answer Your call for me and my life. Thank
You for the opportunity to show my gratefulness for
what Jesus did for me. Help me to live all He died
for me to be.”

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