I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me ~ Isaiah 6:8
Quite the noble thing to say, Here am I Lord, send me. I’m sure we have all responded in this fashion at some point in our Christian walk. However, it is just not about our willingness to be sent, It also includes obedience to actually go.
I just want to share with you a few of my insights following the trip to India…..
Yes, opened the door for me. Isaiah said the willing and the obedient eat the good of the land; I would’ve told you I was always met the admonishment obedient but I don’t know that I’ve always responded heartily or cheerfully. I can’t say I haven’t had my times of murmuring or complaining. Sometimes the opportunities were met with, "I’ll do this if I have to" only to learn in those times finding myself continually challenged to stay engage. Then there are of course the times I so willing volunteered with the hearty yes, only to discover, a multitude of reasons when the opportunity stood before me of why I could not follow through and just said NO.
I heard this sermon about "Never say No" and it was something the Holy Spirit used to challenge me. Up to that time, I still had areas I ruled over for the sake of my own self-preservation. I’m thankful God is always at work in us both to do and to will His good pleasure.
God is in the business of increase. He wants his kingdom manifested. He rewards faithfulness with more work. Talents given are to multiply and extend His kingdom further. The ideal is to stay connected to Him while He works in us to work through us. He will enlarge our borders.
Yet there is the reality of setting our own boundaries when we respond from a place of fear or unwillingness. We can actually limit the sphere of influence our lives can have. Each of us our given a metro; a sphere of influence, and its up to us to take the opportunities God sets before us and enlarge them.
Gods work is always about people. Those in our lives we connect with on a daily basis; family, friends, co-workers and school mates. As we show ourselves faithful with involvement in their lives, God gives us more to touch and influence. As we do, God adds to our lives others we can begin to influence. Every increase involves an enlarged heart to carry others and they must be seen as a gift from God and received as a stewardship.
In India, I found myself seeking daily to stand in the grace of God to impact others I had no frame of reference over. Ministering to widows, orphans, lepers and the nationals demanded the mind of God and working of the Holy Spirit to teach me what to do and what to say. Holding His heart and mind served to remind me every individual is precious to him and one He wants to impact.
Daily I understand Paul’s urgency on a greater level when he tells us we have been given a ministry of reconciliation and are committed with the word of reconciliation. Paul’s words, I beseech you “be reconciled to God” can only come from the heart of God.
India has given me an opportunity to see larger, expand deeper and I hope return home with a greater and lasting capacity to love and care for others.