“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said ‘Here am I. Send me'” (Isaiah 6:8).
The first characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is faithfulness.
The second characteristic of a disciple is availability. A disciple of Jesus Christ is available to be used by God for God’s purposes.
One of our favorite hymns is “Here I am Lord.”
I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in deepest sin, my hand will save.
I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?
Here I am Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
Being available to God for God’s purposes certainly includes one’s willingness. I can go. I will do it. But there is more to being available to God.
When I was a youth pastor, there was a high school senior who wanted to be a part of the praise band as the drummer. He would have been an awesome drummer! He was a musician and a fantastic drummer.
But, even though he was willing, he was not ready. You see, the kid was a notorious dealer. Unless he changed and stopped dealing, he was not ready yet. His life did not match his desire to serve. If he genuinely wanted to serve, he would need to change his life. But, that he was not willing to do. And his unwillingness to change made him unavailable. He had the talent, the ability, and the willingness. But because he was unwilling to change his life, he was not available.
Being available to God also includes living a God-honoring life so that when God calls, we are not only willing, but that we have readied our lives to match God’s calling.
God loves F.A.T Disciples:
- Faithful
- Available
Praxis: Faith in Action 