Unchained Challenge: Luke 12

Scripture: Luke 12:35 Jesus says, “Be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning”

Observation: Jesus possessed a sense of urgency about the kingdom of God that drove him. He was a man on a mission to redeem and restore the world. Service to God, the master, is more important than the preservation of our possessions. There is no “union break” or “retirement” from God’s service. Jesus is suggested that we never “clock out.” Jesus was always on mission, even when he sat by a well in Samaria exhausted. He calls us to live with the same kind of urgency- “be dressed, ready for service and keep your lamps burning.”

Application: I have a tendency to coast a bit in my service. I have a propensity to forget the urgency of the Gospel. And when I do forget and begin to coast a bit, my lamp stops burning. I walk past opportunities to serve God’s purposes. I walk right past people in need of hope. As I switched from pastor to professor I wonder if it’s even more tempting for me now to talk about service instead of serving. Today, I will be dressed, ready for the opportunities God brings my way to serve him, and this readiness will keep my lamp of passion burning for God.

Prayer:  Lord, keep me lamp burning. As I draw close to you, open my eyes to see and seize those opportunities to serve your purposes in the world. Amen.