In the book of Isaiah, God was looking for those He could send to minister to the people. Isaiah said, “Here I am, Lord send me.” Paul was willing to go where most people feared to suffer, what most avoided to preach the Gospel. He also had a “Here I am, Lord send me” attitude. Do you have the same attitude?
1 Corinthians 9:19
“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”
You Are Free in Christ
A lot is being made about liberty, and rightfully so. In some countries, people are restricted to their homes, and if they leave and are caught doing an unauthorized activity, they are arrested by the police. Paul lived in an oppressive time. If you weren’t a Roman citizen, you had no rights in their empire. If you were a citizen, you had free reign, and specific punishments were not allowed, like crucifixion or being beat with a rod. This is interesting because Paul was a legal Roman citizen, yet he gave up so many of his rights to see more saved.
Open Doors
Are you more interested in your rights than in seeing people come to Jesus? Would you allow yourself to become a slave so that you could reach more people with the Gospel? Paul did, and God opened doors for him to reach people than he ever could on his own. He didn’t assert his citizenship in Philippi and was beaten and thrown in prison, which opened the door to see the prison warden and family come to know Jesus.
Here I am Lord, Send Me
We need more Christians willing to do whatever it takes to get the Gospel out to the lost. That means our comfort zone may be violated, and some of our rights may be trampled. God is looking for those He can send and those who will answer, “Here I am Lord send me.”