All for Him

I’ve been doing much wondering lately. Our Pastor gave a message and challenged us to wonder about how God wants to change us. We were to pray and ask God the question: What can we work on together (me and God) that will create newness in me by this time next year? God wants me to be continually changing. I am not to be stagnant, I am to keep growing, moving, being refined and transformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. In prayer I asked God to give me a picture of what He wants to do in me.

What came to mind is how different I am when I volunteer; I seem to take on more of my (earthly) father’s personality. My dad was really loving to all people, he was outgoing and would hug people, laugh with them, be present to them; he really would work the crowd. What I mean by that is he would try to speak with each person, love each one and give each one time and attention. He was very social, giving of himself and serving people. He is the one I think of when I think of examples of being Jesus in the skin.

In noticing myself, I see that when I’m not volunteering, I tend to be withdrawn, I don’t initiate conversation, I think people don’t want to be bothered with me. But, when I volunteer-especially at a place that’s not my home church where people know me, I tend to take on the servant’s attitude that my dad lived in front of me. I purposefully give myself and my day to God.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” Romans 12:1

This year I had the privilege of serving at the Candlelight service Christmas Eve at my church. When the candles were being lit on the main floor, I made my way to the balcony to start the lighting of those candles. When all the candles had been lit, we continued to sing several songs. It was so very powerful to me to have that viewpoint of the service. As I stood there and saw all the candles below, heard the songs rising in the air; I knew this was all for Jesus. It was all for Him, about Him and because of Him. I will hold that moment in my mind for a very long time.

A few days later, I traveled to Atlanta, GA to serve in Passion ’07 conference for college students. I served on the “touch team” as an usher. I was so aware of how each day I woke up and my prayer was “today Jesus, is all about You, I give this day to You, I give myself to You, this day and all that it holds is all for You”. I put myself aside and was a servant for the entire day. Whatever I could do to serve Jesus, and to serve the students (His children) attending the conference, that’s what I did. My entire day and my entire being was all about serving. I put myself on the altar each and every morning and gave myself as a living sacrifice to God and to His Kingdom work.

It occurred to me; why do I just do that here? Why do I just put myself on the altar when I’m serving as a volunteer at a special event? Why don’t I live this way every day of my life? That’s my prayer, that each and every day I put myself on the altar and give myself as a living sacrifice to God and to His Kingdom work; to serve His children and to love them. I want to make each and every day all for Him, about Him and because of Him. Along with this, I want to have the personality, the character of a servant as my dad did; the one that’s outgoing–loves and laughs with all people. I want to take that on and to drop the one that I’ve had—being withdrawn because I think no one wants to be bothered with me.

So from this day forward my prayer and my goal are to each and every morning set myself on the altar as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. I want each day to be all for Him, about Him and because of Him.