Are You Willing?

I had the privilege of attending the Forward conference with our church's youth group last week, and there seemed to be an overall theme of being a dreamer and following your calling from the Lord. It was a great theme considering the conference target audience was 12 to 18 year old. That age group is at a pivotal time in their lives where they are getting more independence.  They are in the place of choosing whether to follow the Lord or follow  the ways of the world. Acts 2:17-19 was referenced at the conference.

"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. " (Acts, 2:17-19 KJV)

These verses highlight that God empowers believers with His spirit to share the message of the gospel. At this conference I witnessed thousands of children eager to learn about the Lord, worshiping Him, wanting to feel His presence. Sitting there surrounded by thousands of young hearts with souls burning for Jesus made me wonder why isn’t the older generation this enthusiastic about Him. The Lord said in Acts 2:17 that He would pour out his spirit on ALL flesh. This includes the young and old. Me, being 28 years old, has noticed that even my enthusiasm has decreased compared to when I rededicated my life. I began to wonder why that happened? Where has our excitement for the Lord gone? We are examples to the younger generation. If we are encouraging them to make the Lord the center of their lives, then we should be walking the walk. 

As we get older, we encounter distractions that we didn’t have as children. Responsibilities such as paying bills, working high pressure jobs, maintaining a household, being a spouse, and or caring for children. There are a lot of things that end up on our plate. We begin to think that everything is dependent on us. It can overwhelm us. We begin to stress and worry, and we work ourselves tirelessly to get the job done. There is nothing wrong with working hard, but there is a problem when we lose sight of God in that work. You may think you earned that promotion, because of the hard work you put in. You have a beautiful house, because you worked hard to keep it cleaned and organized. These are all great things and being prepared and working hard is biblical. The issue comes when we keep thinking that we gain things in life from our own hard work alone. When all of our success depends on us, we are putting ourselves as the center instead of God. Have you ever stopped to think that the Lord put you in that new position at your workplace, because there is a coworker there that needs to hear the gospel? Maybe you got that promotion so your tithe would be increased to help support the church. Maybe the Lord blessed you with a beautiful house to have a place for dinners and fellowship. It could be a place where you remind others that they are important to the kingdom of God. Our purpose on this earth is not to climb the social ladder or compete with others for the nicest things. The Lord blesses us, so we can bless others and share his amazing love. Seeing situations this way doesn’t mean that you didn’t work hard, but it opens the door for God to work in your life. 

Pastor Jentezen Franklin of Free Chapel Church preached at the Forward conference and said, “If the Lord lifts you up, lift Him up higher.” Wherever the Lord has placed you, whether it be a secular job or ministry, God has placed you there for His purpose. If you are a believer then you are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ through your words and actions. So, if you are that stay at home mom, share the gospel with your sweet babies. Share the Lord with them, so they can grow up knowing the love of Jesus. If you are working in an office, share God’s love by showing kindness and being helpful to others. Take the one coworker out to lunch that is having a hard time in her life and be encouraging to her. Even if you aren't the most social when you pay tithe you are connecting your work to the commission. 

Jesus is in every situation in our lives. We need to remember to look for Him. Whatever skills or blessings you have been given it is your job to take them and give them back to the Lord for His glory. 

Isaiah 6:8-10 states,

 "Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed." (Isaiah, 6:8-10 KJV) 

In this story, the Lord asks Isaiah who He should send to spread the gospel and be obedient to the calling. Isaiah replied to send him! I encourage you to have a heart like Isaiah. God is looking for disciples, young and old, to be bold and share the gospel in a sinful world.  Are you willing?

References:

King James Version. Bible Gateway, 2025 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/