Day 29: Accepting Your Assignment

I can't figure out if this chapter was "scary" for me because I feel I don't know what my assignment is yet, or because I am afraid to stop making excuses and just get out there and serve! Warren noted that many Christians have moved beyond the point of learning and are just "sitting there" rather than putting their knowledge into practice. I feel I am just beginning to learn about God and his plan, so service is still scary to me as a concept, but that doesn't mean that I am exempt from it or have nothing to offer. "There is no small service to God, it all matters."

This chapter also reminded me of the first line of the first chapter....."It's not about you." While sitting back and letting our needs take precedent over everything else may be a natural inclination, it isn't going to get us very far in our spiritual growth, or in our relationships with God and other believers. We need to take time to think about how we can serve the church and each other. For me, I need to pause and think about service and significance as Warren suggested. Perhaps I put too much emphasis on work...or my free time....or my hobbies. I need to really think about what is significant to me in my life, and if God and my church is significant, then service should be as well.

While I am nervous about beginning this section of the book, I am excited at the same time to do some thinking about what my service to the church could be.

Thinking About My Purpose

Point to Ponder: Service is not optional.

Verse to Remember: "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Question to Consider: What is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve him?

I think the two things that holds me back from jumping right in and finding a way to serve is that I still think that I do not "know enough" to be able to serve. I feel sometimes like I don't know enough about God or his Word to effectively minister. The other hang up I have is simply my emotions. I find my whole walk with God to be very emotional and I worry that my sensitivities will bother other people.

One part of the chapter that really spoke to me, however, was the last page where Warren listed out many of the people who served God and had "problems" of their own. It really made me smile and know that I can be successful in service, too.