[This devotion is taken from last Sunday’s sermon – Coty]
\nWhat task has God given you? What is the most important of all tasks?<\/p>\n
Is your most important task to do something great for God? Is your most important task, specifically, to fulfill the Great Commission: To go, make disciples of all nations, of every people group?<\/p>\n
No. That is indeed an important task. But it\u2019s not your most important task. And you can\u2019t fulfill your role in completing the Great Commission unless you first fulfill this most important task.<\/p>\n
What is it?<\/p>\n
Jesus says the first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with al your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). And He says we must turn and become like little children \u2013 resting on our Daddy, rejoicing in our Daddy \u2013 if we are to enter His kingdom (Matthew 18:3). Paul commands us to rejoice in the Lord \u2013 always (Philippians 4:4)!<\/p>\n
This is your number one task: To delight in your Daddy. To know that you are nothing and He is everything. To know that He has given you every good gift you have. To acknowledge that you don\u2019t deserve anything, that you can\u2019t earn anything \u2013 you are just the recipient of His love again and again. To delight in Him, so that you show through your attitudes and affections that He is most important, that He is supreme.<\/p>\n
That is your number one task: To have joy in Christ \u2013 and to express that joy.<\/p>\n
George Mueller, who in 19th century organized and ran orphanages in Britain that served thousands, wrote this: <\/p>\n
According to my judgment the most important point to be attended to is this: above all things see to it that your souls are happy in the Lord. Other things may press upon you, the Lord’s work may even have urgent claims upon your attention, but I deliberately repeat, it is of supreme and paramount importance that you should seek above all things to have your souls truly happy in God Himself! Day by day seek to make this the most important business of your life. . . . The secret of all true effectual service is joy in God, having experimental acquaintance and fellowship with God Himself<\/p>\n
So the first question for you to ask yourself is not: What are you doing to serve mankind?<\/p>\n
Nor is the first question: What are you doing to serve God?<\/p>\n
But the first question is: Are you happy in God?<\/p>\n
There is, however, a second task. A second question. Indeed, Jesus says the second greatest commandment is like unto the first. Furthermore, fulfilling this second task is a means toward achieving the first task.<\/p>\n
What is the second task?<\/p>\n
We can state it many ways: Love your neighbor as yourself. Make disciples of all nations. Fill the earth with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the seas.<\/p>\n
But we can more clearly see the link with the first task if we define it this way:<\/p>\n
Your number two task is to deepen joy in Christ among those who know Him, and to spread joy in Christ to those who do not.<\/p>\n
We are to say, \u201cI rejoice in Christ! He is all to me! And because He is all to me, I can love you and serve you and pour myself out for you \u2013 even if you reject me, for I have all I need in Him. But I want Him to be all to you \u2013 for your joy!\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a holy ambition \u2013 an ambition that only flows out of our living up to the number one task of rejoicing in Christ.<\/p>\n
We, like Paul, should have a deep passion for this second task, combined with a humble willingness to play any role in fulfilling that task, while we keep our eyes fixed on the number 1 task of rejoicing in God.<\/p>\n
If you have that attitude, you are not wasting your life – whatever specific ways you end up working to fulfill the second task.<\/p>\n
Now, think about that word, \u201cWhatever.\u201d It means being able to say something like this:<\/p>\n
\u201cI am willing to lead a movement that brings millions to faith in Christ\u201d (to say \u201cI could never do that)\u201d is false humility, a denial of God\u2019s transforming, enabling power.)
\n\u201cI am willing to labor unnoticed feeding, clothing, and changing diapers for disabled orphans for rest of my life\u201d
\n\u201cI am willing to lie flat on my back, paralyzed, unable to do anything other than to accept the service of others, to be gracious and kind to those who serve me, and to pray for the advance of God\u2019s kingdom.\u201d
\n\u201cI place myself in Jesus\u2019 hands to use me in any way He sovereignly chooses.\u201d
\n\u201cMy status before God does not depend on my accomplishments. And my status before Him is the only status that counts.\u201d
\nCan you say that?<\/p>\n
The 19th century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon once wrote this when he was flat on his back, unable to minister:<\/p>\n
It is of the utmost importance to us to be kept humble. Consciousness of self-importance is a hateful delusion, but one into which we fall as naturally as weeds grow on a dunghill. We cannot be used of the Lord but what we also dream of personal greatness, we think ourselves almost indispensable to the church, pillars of the cause, and foundations of the temple of God. We are nothings and nobodies, but that we do not think so is very evident, for as soon as we are put on the shelf we begin anxiously to enquire, “How will the work go on without me?” As well might the fly on the coach wheel enquire, “How will the mails be carried without me?”<\/p>\n
Or, to update the image: As well might the fly clinging to the windshield wiper of a UPS truck ask, \u201cHow will the packages be delivered without me?\u201d<\/p>\n
God doesn\u2019t need you. He doesn\u2019t need me. He doesn\u2019t need my education, my skills, my talents, my experience.<\/p>\n
But as long as God keeps me here on this earth, He has a purpose for me – and I must not waste my life; I must not be diverted from that purpose.<\/p>\n
He gives me a twofold task:<\/p>\n
Delighting in Him
\nDeepening and spreading that joy \u2013 in ANY way He chooses.
\nWe need to honestly say before God: \u201cUse me in any way you wish:<\/p>\n
\u201cProminent, or not prominent;
\n\u201cSeemingly important, or not seeming to have any importance;
\n\u201cDoing and praying, or only praying
\n\u201cJust use me for your glory!\u201d
\nWill you say that? Will you follow our Lord? Will you first delight in God \u2013 and then spread and deepen that joy, to the glory of God?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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