An Audience of ONE

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,

as working for the Lord, not for men...

It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

Colossians 3:23, 24b



This directive goes so much deeper than it looks at first glance. I always tended to think that this was a mind-set, how I thought about my work. I've come to see it a little differently now and now I have some work to do.

As part of my prayer time and meditation during this fast I am looking at the things that take up my time and energy. Rather, I am letting God take a look at them.

And...

I've told him that I am willing for him to take whatever is there that doesn't need to be. That's a little scary. There is nothing on my agenda for any given day that is illegal, immoral, unethical or otherwise unsavory or wrong. It's all normal, good stuff:

• work
• volunteering
• writing
• home

Hard to find fault in that list, but what if, as the sign says, I'm so busy doing good things that I can't do the excellent ones, the ones that will really matter?

So my task for these three weeks is to let God get all up in my business and sort some things out. He's been waiting to do this and I have a mental picture of a mad scientist in a basement somewhere rubbing his hands together with glee as he anticipates getting his hands on my agenda.

Now I don't mean any disrespect by that, but I do know that God is pleased when we allow him free reign in our lives. I know he waits patiently and draws us to him every second of every day. He directs every moment of our lives, all with the purpose of furthering his plan and making us more like him.

In the end, that is what I want. It is scary, though. As I look at my list I am reminded of those people on shows like Clean House. They know they have a problem - too much stuff. They call in the experts for help. Then they greedily, selfishly, emotionally hold on to all the stuff that was creating the problem in the first place. If I were the host of that show, going in to help people, I would just walk away and leave them to their disfunction. I have no tolerance for that.

Thank God he is not like that. He is always working on us, no matter how stubborn we are, not matter how much junk he has to wade through. He always sees the beauty of the finished project and wants us to see it too.

In some ways this will be a lifelong endeavor. It is a spiritual discipline that I have not exercised much. If I am to truly do everything as unto the Lord, then I must work on his agenda and not my own. So here's what I will do:

• ask God to help me
• list everything that I do - separately
• ask God to help me
• take each thing, one at a time before God
• ask God to help me
• offer each thing to him
• tell him I am willing to give it up if that is what he wants
• ask God to help me
• make no assumptions about anything on the list
• make whatever adjustments I need to
• thank him for sorting out the things in my life and for clarifying what needs to be there and what doesn't

I didn't forget that I had already listed asking for his help. I just know that if I really do this it will take strength that I do not possess. I have fears about what he may ask me to put down and walk away from. Can I do it? Will I do it?

More than the fear, I have trust in the One who has called me to serve him. His agenda is and always will be, so much better than mine. I do want to do everything as if I am doing it for him. It's time to cut out the weeds and let the Master Gardner do some pruning.

Your turn: Have you every offered something to God that you were afraid he would take away when you desperately wanted to keep it? What happened?

Thank you for visiting today. I am praying for you.

Sherri