"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
There was a man who applied for a job as a handyman. The prospective employer asked, “Can you do carpentry?” The man answered in the negative. In response the person doing the interview asked, “How about bricklaying?” Again the man answered, “No.” The employer followed up with one about another skill and asked, “Well, what about electrical work?” The man said, “No, I don’t know anything about that either.” Finally the employer asked a final question, “Well, then tell me what is handy about you?” The man replied, “I live just around the corner.”
Sometimes the greatest ability we can have is availability. To be where God can call us, to be within whisper range of His summons, that is the beginning of a life of meaningful discipleship. There are so many people who want to live the Christian life on their own terms rather than on the terms of one who submits to God. We often let God know what we can do, where we will do it, when we will do it, how we will do it, and whether or not we feel like it at all. That is not submission and availability.
Jesus clearly states, "Come follow Me," in Matthew 4:19 - not "Let Me know if you can." One of the greatest thoughts in all of Scripture is being available to God.
