Isaiah 6:1-8 (ESV)
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”
And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Wow! The scripture doesn’t note any hesitation on Isaiah’s part, but a heart of willingness and swift obedience. A simple, but telling statement of “Here I am! Send me.” What brought Isaiah to that point? He saw the Lord in all His glory! That glory in turn brought Isaiah to a point of humility!
Meditating on this passage quickly brings me back to the point when God called me into this role back in early 2011. I was faced with a decision of whether or not to answer God’s call. Keep in mind that the call came with a mixed bag of emotions for me ranging from awe and excitement to fear. Do you even realize who God called to leadership for the last few years over the Children’s Ministries at South? Most importantly, he called a sinner saved by His grace! But, I have to admit, I come with baggage. I’m sure some of you may have noticed these traits without my confession. My personality is not one that seeks a position of leadership. I am a perfectionist, which makes me prone to indecisiveness. I have had to learn and am still growing in the area of delegation. In addition, not only do I struggle with receiving constructive criticism, but I put far too much credence on the affirmation of others.
I would like to be able to say with all the Lord has taught me and brought me through, willingness to go wherever He leads would be my immediate response. Quite frankly, however, I still feel like a chicken when I consider Isaiah’s statement and I’m still challenged by where that willingness might lead. My sinful tendency is to want to do things that I’m comfortable with, the way I want to do them, and when I want to do them. In addition, I continue to wrestle with God and want to place restrictions on His will. In other words, my tendency is to be self-centered.
All this to say, I covet your prayers and would love to pray for you if you have similar struggles! I want to be obedient to the Lord, wherever He leads! I want to humbly submit my life to His purposes in response to His great love for me and in reverence for who He is! I want to move forward, in His strength, without fear! Because, when you get right down to it, this life is all about glorifying Him anyway!
Mr. D