When God Asks

Who, when, and where?

I sometimes find God to be even more amazing than usual.? Is that even remotely possible? However, I had a response to my blog which contained a God-question that left me speechless with wonder and praise. It’s not even particularly profound. It is just a simple answer to every objection I ever raised when God asked me to do something for Him.

"If not you - who? If not here - where? If not now - when?"

The simplicity stunned me although God was not slow with the answer – just in case I missed the point. The problem is that your average Western “Christian” really doesn’t want to get too much involved. He doesn’t want change, and he certainly doesn’t want anything even remotely resembling any real responsibility.

If not you - who? As I have said before, the average Christian would rather anyone else do the work. It is said that in any church, 20% of the people do 99% of all the work. Actually its about 10% of the people do around 90% of all the work. In one of our old churches, there were, probably still are, many who really will not get involved – they want it all done for them but not by them. If they do one coffee serving, that is their service for a whole year. For anything like reaching and touching and serving those outside the church – well, perish the thought. If everyone had that attitude the church would simply die for lack of servant hearted people because the non-servers would simply go to another church that served them better than the one they are in. The trouble is, I am reminded of Isaiah 6:8 “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”  And I said, “Here am I. Send me! ”

If not here - where? This is for the “Not in my back yard” brigade. “We can’t do that sort of thing here.” If God tells you to do it ‘here’ then He has a very good reason. He will never say “Do this here, or there.” He always gives clear direction with no room for doubt. Do things wherever the Lord tells you to do them. Do not be swayed by those uneasy with your plan – the idea wasn’t given to them, it was given to you and if God is with you then who can be against you?

If not now - when? Once again, God does not confuse us with ambiguous instructions. He doesn’t leave a lot of room for manoeuvre. He knows exactly when he wants us to do things because His planning and His timing are always perfect. I am reminded of an occasion a few years ago when God urged me to find a contact phone number. Having done so, I remember the urgency going away until one morning about 18 months later. That morning God not only reminded me of the phone number, but He really impressed upon me the urgency of calling TODAY. That call brought a dying man and his family such comfort as I could never have expected. We don’t know the reasons – we just know that God wants it done now and our obedience is so important.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon had a wonderful phrase for God’s work. He called it a “Glorious Disorder” and that is often precisely what it is.