Meditations on the Mountain

"If you have been called by God and placed by God then serve God."  –Ron Ehmann at NWBM Conference 2005

The book of Romans clearly tells us, that as Christians, God has called us.  We did not chose God, He chose us.  We did not seek God, He sought us.  When God calls us, He equips or enables us; we must then be faithful to serve Him with all of our being. What can you do for Christ?  Ask Him because it is not so much what we can do for Christ, but what Christ can do through us.  The following is an illustration of this concept. 

I zealously seized the small chunk of oak and began to whittle and mold it into a gift for my Master. The chips flew as I began to pride myself in the creation of this marvelous work. "Won't my Master be proud? Won't he commend me for all my hard work and labor I have invested in carving this great masterpiece for him?" The task was difficult but as sweat drops formed on my brow I did not slow one second. After all, my Master deserves my best efforts. Hours turned into days, days into weeks until at last my great work was completed. I had used every ounce of strength in my body and mind to craft this masterpiece. With pride and jubilation, I quickly ran to my Master's house. "Look Master, look what I have done for you! See how perfect my work is? I worked so hard on this gift for you." My Master bent down and picked up this work of my hands and held it in his calloused grip. I gazed at the gift in his hands and waited for his approval. Instead, the beautifully carved work ceased to appear so wonderful, the cracks and imperfections seemed to be magnified. A slip of the knife here, and a gouge there. Before long the work I had spent so much time creating, began to turn to dust. As the breeze gently blew the dust from my Master's hand, I painfully looked into my Master's eyes. He looked down at me, not with anger or irritation, but with love and pity. "Why Master? Why?" I cried. "I worked so hard for you. I used every bit of my strength and energy for you." Then my Master took another chunk of oak and lovingly grasped my hands. With my hands firmly in his, he began to carve a new work. Suddenly I realized what my master was teaching me. It was not what I could do for my Master that mattered, but what my Master would do through me.