Willing to Serve

When I was a brand-new Christian, I went to Pastor Chuck Smith at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa and said, “I want to serve the Lord. I’ll do whatever you guys want me to do.”

I was 17 years old at the time, and they gave me different tasks like sweeping leaves and cleaning toilets. I did it all. Then one day they gave me a special mission. They said, “We need a new doorknob for the church office door.”

Now, I’ve never been a mechanical guy. But I went to the local hardware store, looked at all kinds of doorknobs in different sizes, and literally prayed, “God, help me find the right doorknob.” I chose one, and it turned out to be the wrong size.

Later I thought, “Well, maybe God wants me to be on a worship team.” So I joined a worship group and did percussion. I played the conga drum and couldn’t really keep rhythm very well. As a result, I discovered that wasn’t what I was called to do.

In fact, one way to find out what God is calling you to do is by discovering what He has not called you to do.

So when someone tells me they want God to use them, I suggest that they volunteer at their church. They might even say to their pastor, “I want to be used by God, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

They might end up doing some janitorial work or setting up chairs or doing some type of menial task. But that’s probably because the pastor wants to see if they’ll be faithful in the little things.

“Work willingly at whatever you do,” the Bible says, “as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (Colossians 3:23 NLT). Be faithful in the little things.