“As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: Look, I am sending My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!” (Mark 1:2–3, HCSB)
Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight! God knows what He wants each one of us to say. That unique message God has given each one of us will be distinctive. Note, this unique message was scripted and revealed centuries before John was actually alive. Just as you are unique, so the message of God through you will be unique. God made you so that you could share His message.
Each phrase in Isaiah’s transcript of God’s words drips with these thoughts. God sent his messenger then – John – just as He sends you and I now. The message was designed for a purpose, thus John was Jesus’ advanceman. He prepared the people for the coming of Jesus.
While there were many voices in that day with all sorts of diverse messages, John’s was equally unique in that he wasn’t called to the urban centers of Capernaum, Caesarea, Tiberius, Sepphoris, or Jerusalem. No, John was to be “out in the wilderness.”
While at first this makes no sense, again, God is in charge of the message, the messenger, the location where we share that message, and with whom we share that message. We can trust Him because we serve Him, He doesn’t serve us.
And note the message. It surely wasn’t going to make John appreciated by the more worldly folk, was it? Can you see the faces of those who heard John speak when he cried out in the loud voice of the street merchant trying to get the attention of prospective patrons? “Prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight!”
Remember, as a servant leader who follows the King of kings, this is why you were born. This is why you have had the life you have.
Your message from God is God’s message for your world. You have been hand-crafted by God to bring that unique communication to those you rub shoulders with daily. It may not be sweet and frilly. It might be gritty and plain spoken. Whatever God has given you to declare, do so with great passion. Lives depend on it.
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realities 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.
