Sweet Obedience

In my last post, I talked about my struggle in ministering to other people. I have never been a people person. That's not a very good trait for the Christian to possess, since there are no lone ranger positions in God's army! How am I ever supposed to reach the world for Christ if I am not willing to do it one person at a time? If I am too afraid to have face to face interactions with others, how can I look them in the eye and tell them about the Hope within me? How can I put a loving arm around them and pray for them? How can I come alongside them if I'm not willing to get near anyone? Trying to stay all to myself goes against everything that God is teaching and growing in me. It is rebellion and it is disobedience! It is sin. God has made this very clear to me. There have been times in the past when I REFUSED to draw near someone! There was a person who had an addiction that I just did not think I could deal with, even though my Master CLEARLY was calling me to minister to them. I wanted no part of it because I could not get past their behavior, caused by their altered state of mind. I did obey Him a couple of times and drew near to this person, and it was horrible! And because I went with a total wrong heart, in my obedience to go, my presence ended up not being a good thing. I was so distraught about having to go that I went with a wrong attitude. I went in self-pity and frustration. And as much as I hate to confess it, I went in a somewhat state of anger towards God for even wanting me to do it. Wow, total sin! Who am I to question Jehovah God? Who am I to decide how I get to serve my Master? And who am I to doubt His help when He sends me? I've grown so much since then. And although I am amazed and saddened that I ever behaved that way before my Lord, I still have those tendencies. I have to stop quickly and realize it as soon as something starts to trigger those feelings. I never want to refuse to go again. So when He calls me to something that I'm uncomfortable with, I have to recognize those old feelings when they try to resurface, and get on my face immediately! I have to plead at the throne room of all grace and mercy for God's strength to carry out His plan. It's a constant battle for me.
I want so much to obey Him any and every time He calls me! What a privilege to serve the Most High God! I mean, come on, this is the One who spoke and created the heavens and earth! And He is giving ME the opportunity for blessing in doing His bidding. He has a perfect plan, and that plan calls for Dana Greenslade to be used by Him. WOW!! Chosen by God!! I am so undeserving! Look at what all Jesus did for me, and continues to do for me every single day. Can't I give Him my whole life, every single part of me? Can't I give Him anything and everything? Can't I go wherever He leads me? He's promised to always be with me. It's never in my own strength that I go.
About two years ago, someone at the church was doing an interview with me. I don't know what happened to it, and I surely don't remember everything I said. But I do remember talking about my son, Joshua. He was not saved at the time. He was living a very sinful life. I pleaded night and day with tears for his salvation. Joshua had already forbid me from talking to him anymore about being saved. So I pleaded for God to raise someone up to minister to my one and only child on this earth. It was my most fervent prayer, my son's salvation and God bringing someone alongside him. If someone would only share the Good News with him, maybe he would listen. Now mind you, I am a firm believer in the doctrine of election, God's sovereign right to choose. And I reckon that with prayer and evangelism. So I was faithful to raise my son up in prayer to God, and I pleaded for God to raise up someone to tell Joshua the things of salvation. I knew that the work had to come from the Holy Spirit. But I know that God uses different and many means to bring His chosen to the cross. I wanted so much, of course, for my son to be saved. I wanted there to be one man, in this entire world, who would love Joshua enough to ask him where he stood with the Lord. I wanted someone to care enough about him to discern Joshua's lost condition. I wanted someone to love him enough to confront Joshua's life of sin against a holy God. So I remember, during this time, when I gave the interview, talking about being willing to go when and where sent. What if God raised up some man to minister to my son, and this man didn't want to obey! What if he was uncomfortable around Joshua? What if he didn't particularly like my son and struggled with why God would want to send him? What if he told God that he really wasn't much of a people person? What if he felt like he really couldn't relate to Joshua? What if, what if, excuses. How would I feel if I knew that man had been chosen by God to minister to my son and this man decided he didn't want to obey? What if, now that my son is saved, God is raising up a man to be a mentor to Joshua, and this man just doesn't have the desire? My son doesn't have a godly man in his life. He needs godly council from a sound, older man who has been walking with the Lord. What if that man refuses to minister to my son because he just doesn't have anything in common with him? How would that make me feel, since I pray for God to bring a godly man alongside Joshua?

Every single person that God puts in your path to minister to, has someone in this world who loves them, most likely. It's a good probability that there is someone in this world who has been praying for them, and praying that God would raise someone up. You are an answer to someone's prayer. YOU! God looked to and fro throughout the earth and chose His servant, YOU! Not your best friend or your parent or your spouse or your child, but you! He counts you worthy to serve Him by serving this other person. He decided that you could be the one to undertake the task of starting up a ministry in that nursing home your friend's mother is in. He decided you could be the one to get a group together to help out once a month at St. Jude. He chose you to be the one to form a group that cleans widow's homes twice a month. Then someone will raise their hands to heaven and thank the Lord for bringing YOU! Someone might be able to lay aside that addiction because you were faithful to come alongside them and minister to them in their most critical hours.
Have you ever had anyone in your life, your family, that you have prayed for? Maybe they are not saved. Maybe they are having a horrible time with things and you don't have as much time as you would like to help. Or maybe you've given your help but they still need more. So you have prayed to God for Him to send someone. If you have, then know that when God sends you to someone else, more than likely, YOU are an answer to someone else's fervent prayers. Offer God your sweet obedience. Be a blessing today.