The sign hangs on the wall in our house as a reminder. It reads, “Here I am, send me!” It’s a simple statement from Isaiah 6:8 that reminds us that whenever we leave home, we are being sent out by God to be His ambassadors. It expresses a willingness to be used by Him, wherever and whenever He chooses. Whether we are headed to an obviously “Christian” activity or not, our desire is to be a blessing and encouragement to those we encounter. Sometimes this happens informally, other times it means getting involved and making an ongoing commitment to serve in a ministry.
The word “commitment” is a scary one for many people. We’re intrigued by the idea that God uses us to accomplish His purposes, but signing on to do it regularly sometimes feels daunting. I think these fears can be addressed and alleviated with some clarification from Scripture. With a change in focus, committing to serve becomes thrilling instead of frightening.
Fear #1: I’m Not Ready Yet
Look back at that verse from Isaiah quoted above. Only three verses earlier in Isaiah 6:5, Isaiah is lamenting that he is unclean and unworthy of being in God’s presence. Yet a few verses later, he enthusiastically agrees to be God’s message-bearer to the people after the Lord cleanses and equips him. Isaiah’s willingness qualified him for the job.
Many of us sit on the sidelines missing out on what God wants to do in and through us because we don’t think we have what it takes. We forget that the Lord will give us exactly what we need to serve Him, He won’t leave us hanging. God equips the called, He doesn’t call the equipped. But we have to make first step by being willing to commit.
Fear #2: I Don’t Have the Time
We live in a culture that celebrates busyness. For many of us, we find value and meaning from keeping a packed schedule. We rarely take time to stop, pause, and make intentional decisions about where we do and don’t say “yes.” Because of this, we feel frantic and often miss opportunities to invest our time in the places that would most benefit ourselves, others, and our relationship with God. However, when we make commitments based on God’s agenda instead of ours, we can feel confident about where we say “yes” and “no.” And just to be clear, this doesn’t mean only commitments with overtly “churchy” connections. God also uses secular commitments to help us grow, to connect with others, or to prepare us for future opportunities.
God never ceases to amaze me with the ways He multiplies my time when I ask Him (which is pretty often). He also helps me to recognize where my priorities are out of order. Sometimes I make things important that really aren’t. When my agenda aligns with God’s, He gives me the time to serve Him and to accomplish the other things I need to get done.
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” (2 Peter 3:8, NIV)
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34, NIV)
Fear #3: I Don’t Know Enough
With the encouragement of a trusted mentor, I started leading my first Bible study at the ripe-old age of nineteen. I’d had exposure to the Bible throughout my childhood, but was hardly confident planning lessons and leading others in discussions. But I was willing and I had some godly people who were further along in their faith to guide me.
One of the best parts about agreeing to serve in a pre-existing ministry is that there is a built-in support system for you. No one expects you to be a Bible scholar. Most ministries are looking for willing people and gladly provide the training and support you need to thrive.
For a biblical example, look at the story of Apollos in Acts 18. He was teaching and preaching the Scriptures accurately, but with an incomplete knowledge. Then a godly couple named Priscilla and Aquila pulled him aside and “explained the way of God more adequately.” Afterwards, he was a great help to the disciples in spreading the gospel. Like him, we can take what we know and let God use it. In addition, we can submit ourselves to the wisdom and teaching of those ahead of us on the journey.
Reject Fear, Reap a Harvest
Every follower of Jesus is called to share the gospel and to love and serve others. It’s up to us to determine where and how we’ll do that. Once you get beyond your fears, you’ll discover the thrill of being used by God. You’ll experience a sense of joy and fulfillment that will rejuvenate your spirit and cause your faith to grow exponentially.
All around me, I see ministries desperate for more help. I see Women’s Ministries groups longing to serve more women but being limited because they don’t have enough help in key leadership roles. I see Children’s Ministries staff that would love to welcome more kids into their midst but are hindered by not having enough volunteers. I see Student Ministries teams eager for more adults to pour into the spiritually hungry teens streaming through their doors. Each of these things reminds me of a familiar passage about Jesus in the gospels:
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” (Matthew 9:36-38, NIV)
Will you become one of the few workers in the field that experiences the joy of reaping a great harvest? If the idea of committing to serve feels way beyond you, then you’re in the right place. The sooner we learn it’s not about us and start depending on God, the more we can be used by Him. Click on the link and be inspired by TobyMac’s song “Beyond Me.” Then, pray and ask where God might be calling you to commit.