Today I got an answer to prayer!
I have been waiting on a yes or no from the Lord regarding my readiness to be in ministry at my church, and after what I learned last week about waiting in Acts 1, I was not going to take it lightly!
But today I was given a clear yes.
I was praying specifically and reading a daily devotional my Pastor's wife gave me and this is what was found...
"But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all." Philippians 2:17
This tells me that I need to set myself aside for the service of others. God told me to get past all the "what ifs" and the "what abouts" and be obedient all the way to the cross, all the way to the alter like Abraham with Isaac (Genesis 22). Jesus did not stop short in any point of his obedience, He went ALL the way to Calvary as an example to us all!
Living the "poured-out" lifestyle is like when you hold a cup under running water and you leave it there even after it has been filled... the water will continue to fill it up but it will also have an overflow. That overflow can be a picture of ourself as an offering to others, yet we are still filled with the Joy everlasting!
The other thing about a poured-out life is that it is never stagnant. The vessel will continually be cleaned and the water will always we refreshing. If you are trying to share your stagnant water with others you will only end up dry and thirsty.
I believe whole-heartedly that life in ministry is all or nothing, and this could not be a better picture to explain that.
Praise the Lord for answers to prayer!!! I love you all - have a blessed week!
4 comments:
Hi Carolyn! Praise the Lord for your obedience!!
Do you know what area in ministry you'll be serving in?
That's awesome Carolyn! :) I, too, want to live in an overflow, not just a sustained life...in any aspect! I love your background, btw!
What an awesome picture carolyn!
What a great image to how we will be sustained when we are serving others. Too often I find myself completely depleted when I overfill my life with business. Perhaps if I turned to the Lord, asking Him to sustain me, I would be continually be refreshed--if I was serving others in His name and not for my own glory! I so struggle with doing things so that I am the one who is glorified (Oh, look...Natalie brought us dinner. Oh, look...Natalie made this card. Oh, look...Natalie blah, blah, blah). I need to be constantly reminded to use my gifts to serve Him who gave his life for me!!!
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