Your Daily Devotional for August 6, 2006

 

August 6, 2006

 

Preparing a Servant of God

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

“And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.”

 

Acts 9:17-20

 

Here we see the account of how God trained Paul right after his conversion. God had appeared to Ananias in a dream, telling him to go to Paul and to bring him into his house. This would have taken incredible faith, seeing that no one knew of Paul’s salvation. It was last heard that Paul was going to Damascus to find and kill Christians!

 

The Lord sent Ananias to Paul so that he could train Paul and disciple him. Even though Paul had a miraculous conversion, he still needed to be trained to become an effective servant of God. One of the greatest joys in life is to be used to help someone grow spiritually! No one on this earth can save a person, but we can help them grow closer to the Lord!

 

What a joy it is to know that we can be a part of God’s work on earth! Have you stopped to think about what you are doing right now to help others? Are you working in the bus ministry, the children’s ministry, the choir or orchestra, maintenance, as a deacon, or simply serving behind the scenes?

 

Think about whose life you are influencing. Could that little boy who always likes to talk in your class be the next D.L. Moody? Could that little girl on the bus be the next Amy Carmichael? Could the people you are helping do something great for God? Could someone in the audience as you are singing be close to repentance? We never know when we are touching the next generation of Christians!

 

I would challenge you to stop and realize that what you are doing, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, is affecting someone. Someone will either be growing closer to God or falling away from Him because of your leadership. Are you not only teaching them but showing them how a Christian should live by your life?

 

Even today, you are preparing a servant of God! Whether by teaching a class on Sunday or by setting an example to those around you, people are being changed by your life. Would you want the next generation to live their lives as you are living your life? We don’t get a choice in who we influence, but we do get a choice in how we influence them.

 

Make a choice today to become more aware of how you are living your life. Don’t haphazardly throw together a quick lesson for your class; take time to really ask the Lord what He would want you to teach. Don’t just brush off the people around you; take time to invest into their lives.  You never know what eternal rewards you could one day reap.  You are a part of God’s plan for the lives of those around you. Ask God to help you prepare another faithful servant of God.

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