“In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.” (Luke 1:5–6, HCSB)
Both were righteous in God’s sight. Have you ever wondered why God uses some people and not others? I mean, we watch it happen all the time. Out of a crowd of people, God seems to often pick the person whom we wouldn’t give the time of day to. Why does that happen? Why does God do that?
Repeatedly throughout the pages of the Holy Word of God, we see this happen. Time and again, God chooses to tap the shoulder of a person that has no power, no influence, and no reason to be used. And while God uses some people of power and influence, for He can use anyone, over and again we see a simple theme running through most of God’s first line choices.
Just as with Zechariah and his wife, more often than not, God chooses those who are right in His sight. But what does that mean? If we want to be used of God, we will need to be right in His sight. Being right isn’t as complicated as preachers and theologians make it to be.
Any parent knows what this means. And, for that matter, anyone who has ever been a child knows, too! When we are right with a parent, like God is our Father, it means our actions and attitudes, especially our attitudes, are right. We listen and follow because we want to, not because we have to.
It’s all about lifestyle. Note that Zech and his wife were, “living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.”Choices reveal our true heart. Those who are used by God choose daily, to do the right thing, to obey God when no one seems to be watching. But God is watching. He watches our every move. He knows our every motive. He delights in our every moment.
Choosing today to the right thing according to God will set us up for that moment when God wants to use us to display His plan and glory in our story … and what could be better than that?
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realties of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.
