Pick Me! Pick Me! Motivation For Bold Obedience

by Jim Reynolds⁽¹¹⁾

My wife just returned from our church’s mission trip. Projects such as this are like the proverbial box of chocolates: “you never know what you’re gonna get.” The original plan called for building a handicap ramp and doing some general cleanup and painting for an elderly retired school cook. By the time they arrived, Plan B called for an entire wraparound porch plus stairs and room for a future ramp. The difficulties came into sharp focus rather quickly. Decaying brick steps had to be removed first. Warped boards had to be wrestled and hammered into submission. The back of the house was an uphill jungle, filled with alien Virginia-bred red bodied daddy-long-legs and other assorted creepers.

While some teams would face such unexpected changes and difficulties with frustration and the enthusiasm of a teenager at his little sister’s dance recital, our group adjusted on the fly and pulled off a transformation worthy of Trading Spaces. It is inspiring to me. I wish we could all make similar commitments when it comes to our spiritual lives. Too often, we back off obedience when things get difficult or we refuse God’s assignment before He even asks. “I can’t tell other people about Jesus; that’s just not who I am.” “Tithing isn’t for today.” “I’m not going to take the job; there’s not enough money.” “God doesn’t want me to volunteer at the church. We have staff for that kind of thing.”

The old time preachers called it abandonment. My generation called it blank check Christianity. Today, you hear messages about surrender. The goal is an anything goes approach in our obedience to God, even when we don’t know where He is ultimately leading and what it will require from us. Isaiah certainly lived this out. His calling as God’s prophet is chronicled in Chapter 6 of his book. Many images capture my imagination: the high and exalted God seated on the true throne of the universe, angels shielding their faces from God’s glory while shouting, “Holy! Holy! Holy!!” When I read his account, I wonder if it hurt when Isaiah’s mouth was seared by a sacred coal from the heavenly altar. The penultimate moment for me, though, where I catch my breath and shake my head in wonder every time I hear it, is Isaiah hollering out like an impatient elementary student, “Here I am; send me!”

The startling truth is that Isaiah, at that moment, had no idea what he was volunteering to do. The moment enraptured him and when God asked, “Whom shall I send?” Isaiah’s answer exploded from his overflowing heart and spirit. I hate to dissect this holy encounter and rip it into bullet points, but I wanted to know what factors motivated this enthusiasm. Why this brash willingness? Are there events or character qualities we can build into our lives that will help us overcome our reluctance and willingly obey God, no matter what?

Crisis – Isaiah is careful to set his vision in the historical reality of “the year King Uzziah died.” Uzziah was one of Judah’s greatest kings, rivaling David and Solomon in both success and longevity. When this king died, after a glorious and prosperous 52 year reign, it signaled a period of great turmoil and uncertainty. Isaiah’s picture of God still occupying His throne was of immense comfort. Still, the need was great, so Isaiah’s response was immediate.

Often, when crisis hits, we are more willing to risk obedience, especially if we believe our risk will avert or at least ameliorate the crisis. I was just recently reading that today’s converts are not coming to Christ as a result of a revival or a crusade. They aren’t getting on their knees after reading a Gideon Bible or hearing a television preacher. Today’s testimonies are motivated, more often than not, by crisis. Divorce, terminal illness, addiction, infidelity. These are the flash points for people agreeing to abandon their old ways of life and embracing an “I’ll do anything, God” submission.

A transcendent picture of God. Let’s face it. Were any of us to truly “see” God, even in a vision such as Isaiah’s, when we pulled our molecules back to their solid state, we also would obey, instantly. The humiliation of seeing God even close to how He truly exists would be more than enough motivation to trust Him. This is, in fact, what transformed many of the great saints of old, and even modern day warriors for God tell stories of intense experiences with Him.

We can’t manipulate such experiences; they’re not going to appear on our calendar with a red circle around the date. Thankfully, especially for those who long for more of Him, God occasionally chooses to reveal Himself in these extraordinary ways. No matter what, however, He does not change. The revelation you receive during some supernatural experience is not going to differ from the what He has already revealed in His Word. Therefore, our trusting obedience can be the same, even if it is more by faith than by sight. What we need is an exalted picture of Him. What we need is to fully trust the overwhelmingly powerful revelations of Him already unveiled by Scripture.

We’ll pull out a few more ideas from Isaiah 6 next time. For now, consider: what obedience are you currently backing away from? How might that reluctance be impacting your life?

After the angels praise God’s holiness, they declare, “The whole earth is full of His glory.” Judging from the testimonies of our Missions Team, I guess the whole earth includes spider-infested back yards and planks that don’t quite line up. They didn’t back away. They finished the race and may have glimpsed some of that glory because of their servant obedience.

(Look for Part 2 soon.)

Article submitted Friday, August 06, 2010 & read 326 times.

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» left by Teresa^(1,655) (1 year 185 days ago.)

Very well done Jim, as I read the first part of your story, I knew we were headed for a great object lesson. I will be reading part two! and I can't wait to see it posted here. Blessings to you and your entire family! Teresa
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» left by Marijo Phelps⁽¹⁹⁹⁾ (1 year 184 days ago.)

Am looking forward to part 2 - thanks for posting this on WWBS. this is challenging and encouraging.
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» left by Verna Mull from Greene, Iowa (1 year 178 days ago.)

This was a very interesting study and I thoroughly enjoyed it
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