This past week, I taught a third grade class at the local elementary school where I work as a substitute teacher. At the end of the day one of the students asked if she could clean the large white board at the front of the classroom. I gave her permission, and she began the work. While she was cleaning, her bus was called over the intercom, and she had to leave to go home. She ran over to me and exclaimed, "You just have to finish cleaning the white board! I just got a brand new wipe!" She was not complaining or being demanding. Instead, she was so passionate and excited about the work that needed to be done while presenting the opportunity to me as if I was the only person on the planet that could complete this job.
I took the wipe from her outstretched hand, she headed home for the day and I began wiping the board. As I scrubbed to get it as white as possible (for sure she would be checking it out in the morning, and I did not want to let her down) I began thinking about God and the work the Lord invites us to do.
I thought about God asking me to do something with the same amount of passion and enthusiasm as the little girl that just left to get on the bus. I pondered how God holds out an outstretched hand to us with the provisions we need to accomplish whatever we are being asked to do. I wonder what goes through God's mind and heart when we do not respond as enthusiastically and passionately as He is about the work.
This week, I want you to think about what it is that God is asking you to do.
What does God need you to wipe away? What does God need you to help out with in your community? What does God need you to clean up? What is God asking you to create? What is God leading you to refresh or renew?
God is standing before you, hand outstretched, ready to supply you with whatever is needed for the task. I wonder just how different our world. would be by Saturday if we took what God is ready to hand off to us, and with all the passion and enthusiasm we can muster said, "Yes!" Then got straight to work.
"Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord." (Romans 12:11).