I have abundant opportunities to serve in my life.  Much of that service is remarkably rewarding with observable, pleasant and even miraculous results.  It is easy to begin to pat myself on the back and admire all the good I am doing.  It is easy to forget that God is the reason for the power, enjoyment and success of such service.  The credit and glory belong to Him.  I get to have joy in my service, but as for satisfaction or credit, I deserve none.

Because of the abundance of service opportunities, I also have conflicting activities and when left to myself to prioritize, I always botch the job and leave someone out, or offended.  The frequency of scheduling conflicts is helpful in reminding me that true service must be done under the direction of God and not by my best planning efforts.

While planning and scheduling have their place, they are inherently flawed because there are always unexpected events in our lives.  Events that only God can anticipate and orchestrate.  Let me share with you a recent example.

I conduct a 12 Step program for youth in our community.  The meetings are just getting started and so far we’ve only had one young woman attending.  Last week I encountered a conflict.  As I can’t be in two places at once I had a tough decision to make.  After consulting with God, I chose in favor of the conflicting event, meaning I’d have to skip the 12 Step meeting.  I hated to do it, but felt strongly impressed that my choice was best.  At the time I might have been at the meeting, my other activity took me to a different location where, I stumbled upon the very girl who’d been attending our meetings.  We had an opportunity to converse and touch bases.  She had been in a bit of a rebellious moment and opted out, not only of the meeting, but other goals facilitating her recovery.  A few words of encouragement seem to have brought her back on course.  I believe God took me to where I was needed and put me in the right place at the right time.

I could not have possibly anticipated what was to transpire, but God could and did.  You might call it a coincedence but I know differently.

No amount of determination can substitute for the direct influence of God in our service.  Left unto myself, I’d have insisted on “doing the right thing” and attended that meeting.  Instead, I consulted God about my choice and He took me to the place He needed me to be.

Raising His children and bringing them home is His work and glory.  He allows us to be His servants in that process.  We can do that best by taking direction from Him.  While dutifully showing up at that meeting that day would have been commendable, it wouldn’t have been effective at all.  Why, because I am not God and it is His work, not mine.  If I allow Him, he can make me an instrument in His hands, but it remains His work and it is He who accomplishes it.  I just get to be there to speak His words, point Him out, and witness the miracles He works in the lives of His children.

It is so easy to convince ourselves we are doing the right thing and subsequently leave God out of the equation.  I know because I’ve done it far too often.  We get an opportunity or assignment, we get training or direction from others, we are full of determination to do it well and then we allow ourselves to become convinced that we know what we are doing.  I have to keep reminding myself that I don’t have the slightest idea about how to best serve God, unless I ask Him.  If I try to serve without being directed by God, I might as well pretend to be God.  I’ve done it and know first hand that it’s foolishness to even try.