It’s always been my heart’s desire to do the Lord’s bidding since I was a little child, as far back as I can remember. Imagine then, how disappointed I, a go-getter was, to learn that ministry work cannot be willed. It’s not like wanting to be an Accountant, a Physician or an Astronaut. A situation where you apply yourself whole hardheartedly to your craft and become the very best there is.
In ministry, you have to be called by God. He controls the timing, the message and yes, He controls the messenger. The harder you work to do God’s work on your own, the farther away from God you get. The more determined you are to do His work, the more a deterrent you are to His work. You can’t do God a favor without His will. Let me explain…
In 2nd Samuel 6, Uzziah, who was not called to be a priest, reached out to help the Ark which had stumbled and was about to fall down. He was trying to help, he was trying to do God a favor. But it wasn’t God’s will that anyone, save the priests should touch the ark. And so God’s anger was kindled against Uzziah and He struck him dead on the spot. In Luke 10, we read how Martha was cumbered with trying to do God a favor. She did it all, prayer meeting, choir practice, evangelizing, preaching, baptizing, healing … whereas, her sister Mary was simply abiding. She, as a branch, was sitting at the feet of Jesus, the vine, listening to his word. When Martha complained that Mary was not helping with service, Jesus replied that Mary had chosen the good part and it won’t be taken. Martha was willing her way to ministry, Mary was abiding and being much more effective. Do you get it?
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing – John 15:5
You want to do much for Christ? The way to do that, the way to yield much fruit, is to ABIDE. It is to be still and know that He is God. It is to sit at the master’s feet, engrossed daily in His word. The moment you release yourself to Him, confessing your weaknesses, acknowledging your incapacity. That broken moment is when you find Him very near you. That is when He releases you to do much. Now it’s no longer you, but the Christ that lives in you. You realize you can do nothing without Him, and yet you are mightily convinced that with Him, nothing is impossible to you – nothing.