Determination

I have a friend that speaks into my life that I respect very much. He often says that what we are missing in our lives is what he calls "the intensity of desire." Whether it is prayer, serving or being a witness for Christ, we lack the desire or determination to seek hard after God. It takes effort, and most of the time we put EVERYTHING first and God last. Then we're too tired; too worn out to give Him the attention He desires. We shouldn't expect more of God's presence, maybe He should expect more of ours.

After reading today's (2/23) My Utmost for His Highest, I realized that the greatest way to be like Jesus is to SERVE. Read the first line of Chambers's journal entry, "Jesus also said, 'Yet I am among you as the One who serves' (Luke 22:27)." Jesus had a quiet strength about him. He was intense about serving others and driven to seek and save the lost. In His "lost" parables in Luke 15, Jesus seems to put the subject of the stories as the "seeker of the lost", and their intense desire to restore what was lost at the risk of losing everything else. Is this who we are to model ourselves after? Maybe we are afraid to have an "intensity of desire" because we are too afraid to risk something. Maybe we that's why we have such a difficult time with our image of God. Is God's intensity of desire so high that He is willing to risk it all?

What is the level of your desire today? Can you say that you desire God more than ANYTHING else? Are you serving your sphere of influence today? Are you leaving your fingerprints on everything you touch today? Someone is waiting for you to be The One who serves. Maybe, it's just someone in your family. Often times, we think of our family members least. Familiarity has left us insensitive to those who are closest. What would happen if we stopped and asked our spouse, son or daughter how we could serve them? What could God do in the heart of the person who has a blazing fire of desire to serve another?

Paul said to Timothy, "...fan into flame the gift of God." This speaks of sparking your intensity and working toward using your gifts for others. May your intensity for God's will be hot! May the fire of God be present in your prayers today! May the intensity of desire overtake your spirit today and make you more like Christ who came to serve.

Click here for the February 23 reading of My Utmost for His Highest.