Serve God on His terms
Luke 9:23-24 NIV
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
After reading Acts 16:6-10, some people may consider that the greatest challenge for Paul and company is to learn to hear from the Holy Spirit.
However I felt that even more than hearing from God, Paul's struggle lies in the struggle of every disciple: To serve God on His terms.
Paul was prevented from executing his strategy (Ephesus in Asia) and working in his most natural and effective ministry (Bithynia was full of Jews, whom Paul had extensive experiences ministering to) when he was explicitly commanded to preach the gospel.
Anyone who serves God will inevitably face discomfort and the feeling of being "cornered" into a difficult position.
"God, You told me to do this. I obeyed. I stepped out. I gave and sacrificed. Why are You making life so difficult for me now?!"
However this is the point where our discipleship is tested: Do we serve God on our own terms, or on His terms?
If we are serving God on our own terms, we are actually serving ourselves.
Our ministry becomes entangled in our own plans, methods and comfort level. We end up missing the whole point of serving God.
If we want to see His Kingdom come, His will be done, we need to serve Him on His terms, not our own.
Though it is not easy, we should rely on the Holy Spirit to wrestle in the areas where we find it challenging to yield to Him.
This is what it means to take up our cross daily to follow Him - we take up the cross whilst laying down our rights and comfort, yielding to Him step by step.
By faith, we will see His amazing works displayed as we submit to His will.
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
After reading Acts 16:6-10, some people may consider that the greatest challenge for Paul and company is to learn to hear from the Holy Spirit.
However I felt that even more than hearing from God, Paul's struggle lies in the struggle of every disciple: To serve God on His terms.
Paul was prevented from executing his strategy (Ephesus in Asia) and working in his most natural and effective ministry (Bithynia was full of Jews, whom Paul had extensive experiences ministering to) when he was explicitly commanded to preach the gospel.
Anyone who serves God will inevitably face discomfort and the feeling of being "cornered" into a difficult position.
"God, You told me to do this. I obeyed. I stepped out. I gave and sacrificed. Why are You making life so difficult for me now?!"
However this is the point where our discipleship is tested: Do we serve God on our own terms, or on His terms?
If we are serving God on our own terms, we are actually serving ourselves.
Our ministry becomes entangled in our own plans, methods and comfort level. We end up missing the whole point of serving God.
If we want to see His Kingdom come, His will be done, we need to serve Him on His terms, not our own.
Though it is not easy, we should rely on the Holy Spirit to wrestle in the areas where we find it challenging to yield to Him.
This is what it means to take up our cross daily to follow Him - we take up the cross whilst laying down our rights and comfort, yielding to Him step by step.
By faith, we will see His amazing works displayed as we submit to His will.
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