Being Available?

It was a word that God had laid on my heart at the tail end of last year.  And although it didn't make much sense to me at the time, I made the decision that it would be my "word to live by" for 2014.

The word?

Available.

And God has a way of getting to the root of a problem, doesn't He?  Getting right down... in our business... to the very marrow.  An external change doesn't happen without a heart transplant.  And mine needed transforming.

Available by definition reads as this... "suitable or ready for use; of use or service; at hand; readily obtainable; accessible."

Available.

And I wrestle with the word because I wonder... have I been?

Have I been available to God?  Really available?

And we talked about this before... I remember it quite well.  This idea of "limitless readiness".  This idea comes from a book my Bible Study girls and I had read and studied intently for 9 weeks together called, Unconditional... The Call of Jesus to Radical Forgiveness.  In the book, author Brian Zahnd explains about this, "limitless readiness" that Christ calls us to when we forgive those who have wounded us.  And I believe the same applies to how we, as believers, are to make ourselves available to Jesus.

With limitless readiness.
A willing spirit.
A yielded life.
A surrendered heart.

And it doesn't always feel good.  It's not always easy.
Because being available... this idea of "limitless readiness"... can look like:

• giving money that you hadn't budgeted to someone with an enormous financial need
• adjusting your schedule to talk with a friend who needs some loving advice or council
• being kind to the neighbor everyone has rejected
• moving to another part of the world because you hear the still, small voice of the Savior telling you to "go"
• forgiving the person who's hurt you... again
• sharing a meal with someone who needs to see Jesus just as much as they need nourishment
• staying up way past your bedtime because your husband needs to talk after he's had a hard day at work and needs to be reassured of your love for him

Available.

And I see it there... in my own handwriting... from January when I made the decision to live by this word for one year.

Available.  Availability.

Being willing to adjust your own schedule, agenda, and plans to fit the right desires of God and others.  It makes personal priorities secondary to the needs of God and others.  It is to reflect God's priorities so we are always available to Him and others.

And we can see this availability in scripture.

In Mark, chapter 1, we read about Jesus calling his first disciples... Simon and Andrew.

"Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow Me and I will show you how to fish for people!'  And they left their nets at once and followed Him."  Mark 1:17-18 {NLT}

They left their nets AT ONCE and followed Him.

Simon and Andrew were AVAILABLE to the call of Jesus.

Setting aside their personal agendas, they left at once to follow Jesus.

I want to be like Simon and Andrew!

And we see it again on the pages of scripture.  Availability.

In Acts, chapter 16, Paul and Silas were traveling through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.  Following a vision from God that there was a man desperate for their help from Macedonia, Paul adjusted His priorities...

"So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there."  Acts 16:10 {NLT} 

I want to be like Paul and Silas!

Being available.

And so I ask myself the hard questions.

Am I making myself available to God?
Available for His use?
Ready for His service?
Accessible?

When He calls am I standing with an endless... or limitless readiness to Him and doing what He has asked me to do?

Because that is the only way God can use me.
When I come into His presence... arms out, palms up, with a limitless readiness to all He is asking me to do.
And He is a patient God.  Oh so patient to have dealt with this reluctant soul for so long.

I am enormously grateful!
And I am ready!
Are you?

Finding JOY in the JOurneY,