what will be

Oswald Chambers, in today's reading of My utmost for His Highest, commented about the breaking of our independence from God.

I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. (Galatians 2:20)

In the last paragraph Mr. Chambers rhetorically asked whether we are going to make our selves available for God to help Himself to, or are we going to prevent Him from doing so due to our own "conception of what we are going to be?" I find this to be a very powerful question. As I consider my own life planning - work, formal education, certifications, ministries, and more - am I truly making myself available for His use and glory, or am I consumed with "vain ambition?"

Certainly my attempt and desire is to make myself available for the Master's use. If God called me to go to China to preach the gospel, could he gift me with tongues in Chinese? Sure! Would it make a difference if I was at the same time, working diligently to study and learn Mandarin Chinese? Sure! Would the latter prevent God from choosing me, or prevent me from being used if I only spoke English? No way! Would my speaking Chinese make me better or somehow more spiritual? Absolutely not! Would my obedience and choice by faith to learn Chinese so that I can be used in a deeper way be blessed? Oh yeah!

So my question then is, am I consumed with vanity for my own plans or am I really and truly making myself available to God for His plans. As it was put in a recent Christian movie, am I acting in faith to prepare the fields for rain and see His harvest? Certainly we can add nothing to God, but clearly we get to see Him more when we seek to be used! When we put our faith and obedience on the line, dying to self, we get to see Him do things that we would never see otherwise.

Oswald also says, "The passion of Christianity is that I deliberately sign away my own rights and become a bond-slave of Jesus Christ." To be His means that I am not mine. I am not my own, I am purchased with a price (1 Cor. 7:23). The problem however is that while it is somewhat easy to say those words, it's different to live them. Do I choose to take those thoughts captive? Do I choose to honor God with humility, even if I "lose?" By God's grace I set my heart once again to live the life of a bond-slave for Jesus and submit myself to His mercy, grace, joy, peace, hope, affliction as necessary, and above all, Love!