SCRIPTURE: John 20:21
(TM)
Jesus repeated his
greeting: "Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you."
STORY:
Franklin Roosevelt's closest adviser during much of his
presidency was a man named Harry Hopkins. During World War II, when his
influence with Roosevelt was at its peak, Hopkins held no official Cabinet
position. Moreover, Hopkins's closeness to Roosevelt caused many to regard him
as a shadowy, sinister figure. As a result he was a major political liability
to the President. A political foe once asked Roosevelt, "Why do you keep
Hopkins so close to you? You surely realize that people distrust him and resent
his influence." Roosevelt replied, "Someday you may well be sitting
here where I am now as President of the United States. And when you are, you'll
be looking at that door over there and knowing that practically everybody who
walks through it wants something out of you. You'll learn what a lonely job
this is, and you'll discover the need for somebody like Harry Hopkins, who asks
for nothing except to serve you." Winston Churchill rated Hopkins as one
of the half-dozen most powerful men in the world in the early 1940s. And the
sole source of Hopkins's power was his willingness to serve.
OBSERVATION:
The “willingness to serve.” “I send you.” Not a novel idea,
but essential to discipleship. Being sent. Instructed to go. Not a novel idea,
but essential to discipleship.
And if we are being sent, there must be a reason for our
going. God has a plan. A purpose. A goal. He always does. Nothing is done
without one. That’s just who God is and how he operates.
His purpose becomes our purpose. His goal becomes our goal.
His future becomes our reality. If we will but go. If we allow ourselves to be
sent. If … what a big word. Going … for no other reason than God said, “Go.”
Going … with no personal agenda. Going … with no reward in mind. Going …
without knowing why or where. Going … for no other reason other than our
willingness to serve. What a novel idea. What a discipleship concept. What a
Kingdom reason for being.
And so we go …
PRAYER:
Set our feet to the pathway of discipleship. Guide our going
out and our coming in. Create in us a willingness to serve.
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