WCTLC

Mat 28:18-20 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Mark 10:35-40 (NIV) Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked. They replied, “Let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left in Your glory.”

“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at My right or left is not for Me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

Mark 10:42-44 (NIV) Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever WANTS to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever WANTS to be first must be slave of all.”

Jesus didn’t rebuke them for wanting to be great. Instead, He told them how to be great and how to be first. Jesus went right to the heart of the issue; the words servant and slave don’t typically go together with being first and being great. But, that is exactly how it works in God’s family and in His Kingdom. There is a human desire to be first and there is a godly desire to be first. God wants to fan the fires of the godly desire and wants to get rid of the human desire.

You can get confused when He tries to kill the selfish desire in you to be great. You can think He is trying to get rid of all passion, determination, and fervor. Most of the time, God has trouble with the person who lacks passion, drive, and concern. Jesus didn’t attack James and John and try to destroy this human desire and passion; He just tried to redirect it.

The truth is, there is a type of person God is looking for who is passionate, driven, and can best be described as a go-getter. They are one of the types of people God wants to use for some very special assignments. However, it can sometimes be difficult getting the go-getter into the Kingdom work; they usually are pretty full of themselves. It takes the special work that only God can do to bring their heart into humility and still keep the passion they possess. Here is one of these passionate types.

Phil 3:12-14 (NIV) Not that I [Paul] have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

1 Cor 9:24-27 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but WE DO IT to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Jesus even wants to inspire those who once were filled with dreams, passion, and fire; people who started out believing that God was going to use them in a mighty way. But, after having experienced one disappointment and beat-down after another, they have decided that it was just some kind of selfish pride or some misunderstanding about God’s plan for their lives.

Their concern for the enormity of the needs around them and the lack of success in their efforts have taken their toll on whatever dreams and aspirations they have had. However, the key to think about is the fact that Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and a host of others went through these same things you are going through now.

The difference between those who waited faithfully and those who stopped believing, is the end-success of the lives of those who are helping hurting people. Those who refused to stop believing, gained successful lives of victory and are able to start helping those who are suffering. The key is to never give up on the dream God has given you.

Gal 6:9 (NIV) Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Be willing to be re-inspired, willing to hope and believe again; and see if Jesus’ life, ministry, message, and methods have the answer to what was missing in your first attempts; it did for Jesus’ disciples.