The heart of the willing servant has many distinctive qualities. Day to day life in itself is often a struggle, and living out a life of faith is no easy task. The roads that we are thrown onto may not always make sense to us, but in life I have found that absolutely everything works towards our good.
How can a circumstance that is unfavorable work to help you?
Life and its lessons are always our greatest teachers. When you're right in the midst of the storm, it is hard to fathom what purpose an experience may serve. It is only in hindsight that you see a situation through a different set of eyes.
Situations sometimes arise from our own poor decisions. Maybe you're lost & going through something and you make a wrong turn in dealing with it; perhaps you are a stubborn soul who knows the right way to go, but you make a conscious choice to try & deal with whatever you are facing alone.
Do you ever feel like you messed up & there's no way that the Lord could use you? Do you feel like He's just not listening anymore?
It's important to know that Christ will never leave you nor forsake you, no matter what mistakes you make in this life. If you know Him as your Savior, He will stick by your side through it all.
If you don't, He is ready & willing to save you from an eternity in the Lake of Fire right now.
Don't be discouraged because you made that wrong turn. We are all human. Throughout my walk with the Lord, I have found that my lowest of times often taught me the most about how to be a better example for Christ. You never know: you may find yourself helping someone through a similar situation later on down the road. Don't lose hope.
Our paths often work to continuously mold our hearts into the kind of willing servant that He wants us to be. The four major areas that are consistently worked on in the heart of the willing servant are dedication, dependence, determination, and courage.
Dedication requires complete surrender to the Lord. This one is tough because it means giving up our idea of what life is supposed to be. Our plans are never quite like what Jesus has in store. Choosing to surrender to His direction can even mean sacrificing more than we desire to. We may lose friends. We may not have the world's eye on us and the level of success that we want. We may have to sacrifice the time with the things of this world that give us pleasure. That's okay. As the willing servant, reaching one soul with His word for His glory is more precious than any amount of material wealth you could ever receive on Earth. Little is much when God is in it.
Dependence is another area that is often a struggle for everyone. The idea of not being in control often frightens us. We as humans don't like not knowing what's around the corner. I know I don't. Some rely on their emotions instead of their faith. Sole dependence upon Him is crucial both in the best and worst of times. Living out a life of faith is not easy. It can be hard to understand why an unfair situation happens; it is devastating to watch the world lose its mind as the pandemic continues. You must hold onto your faith & depend solely upon Him. Life can also throw many storms that are the result of own creation; both of these storm experiences in my walk have always reminded me that He is the most important friend of all.
Determination can easily be stolen by the hands of the devil. He knows where to punch us when we are down. The lies he spews can become a deafening sound in our head that steals all of our joy and determination in serving the Lord. The Lord can use our battles to strengthen our hearts for Him. Each time I come through the wilderness, it always breathes some new life into my determination & love for Christ. Trust the journey as hard as it may be; He will always be with you, even when you cannot see what He is doing behind the scenes. A great servant of a Christ is a determined soul.
Courage is a major facet of my faith that I have felt Him working on throughout my journey. The courage to pray on certain happenings in my life just wasn't there for the longest time. I still struggle with it to this day. Life throws us curve balls that our hearts so often want to avoid. The thought of praying about someone who wronged us, or a situation that was painful, most times doesn't cross our minds naturally. It takes a lot of courage to face our past, especially if it makes us the least bit uncomfortable. Giving it all to Him is so worth it. The courage of a willing servant could provide someone else with the bright light of hope that they so desperately need.
Don't give up on serving Christ. He will never give up on you. It is important to remember that everything in life has its purpose. Let God shut the doors that He wants to shut. Allow situations to teach you lessons. You will never make a mistake that will push God away. Pray for Him to open your heart, to chisel away the unhealthy parts of you, and to make you into the willing servant that He needs today.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28 King James Version)