What Does God Want From Me?
Jesus is traveling with a crowd, teaching as He walks. A blind man sitting by the road hears the passing commotion and asks what is going on. When he learns that Jesus of Nazareth is near, he calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Several times the man calls out, even louder after some in the crowd tell him to be quiet. “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”
– Luke 18:40-41 (NIV)
I am that blind man calling out to God.
Encourage me. Strengthen me. Provide for me. Comfort me. Save me. Give me. Help me.
That’s what I want.
What do you think these kids want? What are they crying out for?
Fifty kids in Haiti. All at the same center. All need God’s love. All need God’s mercy.
How about you? What are you calling out to God for?
All the while we cry out, God is calling out to us. Follow me. Be like me. Share my love.
Is it possible that my needs and your needs complement these kids’ needs? That we offer one another an opportunity to give God what He wants?
Continue Reading ›A Holy Job Description
There are a lot of things I love about working for Compassion. In fact, I’m going on eight years here, which is practically unheard of for my generation. (I’m a twenty-something.) But I’ve not stuck around this long by accident.
I was reminded this morning of one of the reasons I love this ministry. Every Wednesday morning we meet together for chapel. It’s not something that’s required, but every week, it seems, the auditorium is packed out. It’s a great break from our desks, and more importantly, a chance to feel like a family – like the Church body. We sing together. We pray for our sponsors together. And we hear about how what we are doing as “work” every day is changing lives all around the world. It’s very motivating!
This week the room was especially full. Wess, our president, spoke. Anyone that’s been working here for any amount of time learns that when Wess speaks, it will be moving. He has a lifetime of stories. If you’ve read his book, you know that God allowed some pretty extraordinary circumstances in his life to bring him to where he is now. I love to hear Wess speak because every time he does, he shares straight from his heart. And once you hear him speak, you want to hear him again. Apparently employees here have figured this out because there wasn’t an empty seat in the room.
The talk, of course, was great. But something that he said this morning really resonated with me. He said that what we as employees are doing here is exactly the same as what Jesus’ mission statement was while he was here:
because he has anointed me
to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for
the prisoners and recovery of sight
for the blind, to release the opporessed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
(Luke 4:18-19)
Wow. A job description literally right out of the Word of God! It doesn’t get much more motivating than that, huh?
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