Desire to Serve

April 4, 2017

Day 94: His Spirit Walks With Us:
"You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, 'Abba, Father.'"—Romans 8:15

Today's lesson is very familiar to me. I've heard it, in all of its various forms, many times. After sharing about how he would accompany his most fearful patients to hospitals that were outside of their small town (outside of all they knew, outside of their comfort zone), Anderson asks three main questions:
         Are there fears that paralyze you from doing God's will in your life?
         Do you prefer to sit in the comfort of the familiar?
         Are you willing to to step out of your comfort zone and take up a new task for Him?

These questions were asked of us frequently when I was a member of PVCC. They were meant to encourage us to not have a spirit of timidity, but they were also used to get us to serve in places within the church that we would not choose of our own volition. That can be good, but it can also be abused—just like anything else. It leads to feelings of guilt more than a heart to serve. The constant challenge of do this, be that, serve in this way... Statements like, "You're just not willing to let God use you; you should pray about it..." "Ask God to give you the courage to step out of your comfort zone..." "God did not give us a spirit of timidity...." were fired at us like arrows in the hope of piercing our hearts, forcing us to submit to whatever tasks needed doing.

My friend Amelia, who is a pastor of my current church, when I told her about my former experiences in serving, she said that there have been times when she has wished that she could guilt people into doing things. However, she doesn't. People volunteer and she and the other leaders gladly accept the help. They don't use scripture as a weapon to back people into a corner or to guilt them into some commitment. I appreciate that more than I can say. I don't mind serving in ways that are beyond my comfort zone, but I want to feel moved to do so. I want the desire to serve to come from my heart, not from the pit of my stomach.