Daily Devotional - Called to Serve - Colossians 3:23

Colossians 3:23  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, and not for men.

            It’s time for our church elders to bring on board a new class. At Erin Church, we seek people to lead the congregation through their commitment, decision-making, and prayers. In today’s busy world, getting good folks to commit to three years of eldership is a hard task and requires a lot of faith, as well as patience. It’s even more crucial to seek God’s calling of elders these days because of the changing times that we live in. For any church to survive the societal turbulence, it takes focused people who are willing to work for the Lord on behalf of the congregation.

            Some good folks think that they are not worthy or that they won’t have enough time. Other people feel that they are not yet ready or fully prepared to undertake such an important leadership task. That’s actually a very good way to approach eldership. If any person believes they deserve such a position, then perhaps they should think again. Eldership is not a reward for being a good church person; it is a calling which God confers on the individual because He can see their potential for what lies ahead in the life, work, and ministry of the church.

            If you look at the folks God called to leadership in the Bible, all of them are imperfect, untrained, and unworthy. Moses wanted God to choose his brother Aaron instead of himself (Exodus 4:1-20); David was the youngest in his family (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Peter pleaded with Jesus to go away from him because he was a sinful person (Luke 5:1-11); and even Paul, the writer of today’s verse, initially hated Christ, Christians, and Christianity before he was converted (Acts 9:1-9).

           

            As church members, we should be open to the calling of the Spirit and let God take care of the details. God doesn’t call us because we’re perfect; He calls us because He needs us to fulfill His work in our congregation.

Questions for personal reflection

How will I respond if I am asked to serve God as an elder? How can God help me to fulfill that call?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You know us as we are and how imperfect we can be. You understand our fears and worries, as well as our issues and concerns. Help us to set these aside and follow Your bidding. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to send him a message about today’s devotional, please send an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s drawings for Psalm 26. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 26.