who's in charge here?

Yesterday, the verse that kinda came off the page was John 20:21b, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

(This is a very quoted verse at many meetings where people are trying to encourage others to answer the call to be a missionary. There's also a very sentimental song using this verse that was written during the '30's, I think, that used to be sung at such meetings.)

My Life Application Bible says this about that verse - "Whatever God asks you to do, remember: (1) your authority comes from God, (2) Jesus has demonstrated by words & actions how to accomplish the job He has given you. As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus sends his followers - and you."

I was driving down I-16 yesterday to be in Dublin for their 9a.m. service. I was kinda rehearsing in my head something I wanted to talk to Pastor John about, while at the same time kinda praying to God about it too.

You see, I'm beginning to see what God's got in store up ahead for The Warehouse. I still can't quite figure out why God would choose me to be the catalyst for this season of The Warehouse. Ya see, I'm a guy that took over 2 years to adjust to being a servant & not the one in charge (after 27 years of being in charge). And I really kinda like being in that situation - I can simply enjoy the ministry & not worry about all the things one has to worry about if you're in charge.

While going down I-16, thinking about these things, there was a gentle quietness that settled over me, when this still small voice dropped a simple thought into my head...

You know the situation where I'm not in charge & someone else is? That's what kind of situation I'm in right now. I'm not in charge. My Abba Father is. I just have to find out what it is He wants me to be or do, & then be or do it. I'm not in charge of anything else. He is. He's responsible for whatever happens at The Warehouse. My role is to simply serve Him.

Kind of a startling thought...

Walking this thinking out is gonna be interesting. But no matter what the walking out may be like, the quiet that has settled over my spirit is pretty amazing.

He's in charge. I'm His servant. He tells me what to do. He's responsible what what happens.

Hmmmmmm...