Deuteronomy 32:28-52 / Luke 12:35-59 / Psalm 78:56-64 / Proverbs 12:24
*Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning. *A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. *Work hard and become a leader.
I found the above verses in both Luke and Proverbs and I noticed a theme of being a faithful servant and follower of Jesus Christ. All of us have the opportunity to be faithful and to obey God as we walk along the path He designed for us. But how many of us find that path, much less actively walk on it according to His purpose?
My love of mystery and adventure keeps me looking for His purpose and call. I’ve always been the one – at least as far back as I can remember – who wanted to “go out with a blaze of glory”. Meaning, I want to get to heaven knowing I found what God left for me to do and that I did those things with my whole heart.
I don’t want a partial or even a half-life; I want to live a full, abundant life. If I know there’s a plan and a path, it is my life’s work to find that plan and path and walk along both with everything in me. Sure, I’ll bump around some and I’ll make mistakes. But if my heart is to please and obey God, I believe that I’ve more than half accomplished the purpose, and I believe He’ll help make sure I find those hidden gems He left for me.
This, to me, is what it looks like to be a leader. A leader only leads when they are walking as they should. Once others see that one knows where she is going, they are inclined to follow the example – not to follow my path, but to follow in finding their own path. This is the faithful servant, the one who is always ready. My “feeding” of others, personally speaking, is to be an example so others are inspired to live as I do. Not that they will have the same path, gifts, and talents, but that they will find their own expression and accomplish that with all their might. If I have others following me in that, I have accomplished the second part of my calling.
The first part of my calling is to follow Christ. The second part is for you to follow me as I follow Christ. This does not mean you follow me; it means you follow my example and find Jesus Christ for yourself.
What does your path look like? I mean, what do you imagine it looks like? I have not imagined it before, other than to think of a dirt path with stones here and there. But I don’t think that’s at all what it looks like! Let’s imagine it together. If God is good, and the Creator of the universe, I know my path is filled with colors, sights and sounds that would be so unimaginably beautiful.
Here’s what I see in my spirit – a wide area to walk that has no visible boundaries (they are there, but the path is a broad place as spoken of in Psalm 18:19 TPT His love broke open the way, and He brought me into a beautiful, broad place.) Yes, there are times when the path narrows, and the walk is hard – sometimes uphill and sometimes down.
I think there are streams, rivers, mountains, flowers, birds – beauty as far as the eye can see. I also know that there are dark places where I can see only my feet and a small circle of light around them (Psalm 119:105 Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.)
Some areas are bright and joyful, and some are dark and difficult. But there is one thing that does not change; Jesus Christ is with me always. He never leaves me. Sometimes His voice will be loud, and sometimes a whisper. Sometimes I’ll laugh and sometimes I’ll cry. Sometimes I’ll run and sometimes I’ll rest.
I know I’m only scratching the surface of what God has planned with my description. I’m also confident that “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT)
Be dressed. Be ready. Keep walking. Find adventure. Love God and love others.
