I was young, foolish, and completely convinced I was doing what God had called me to do. This sentence perfectly describes me the first time I picked up a hitch hiker. He was standing alongside the road, wearing a long black trench coat, with his thumb up. I quickly decided that my car (12 year old Plymouth Sundance) wasn't worth stealing, and that I was tough enough to fight off any attacker (I did have a Varsity Jacket on, so that alone was proof that I was a tough guy...right?).
His name was Davey, and very quickly I began to wonder if I had made a mistake. It wasn't when he lit up his first cigarette, or when he mentioned breaking out of the group home, or even when he told me he was John Lennon, but when he began to tell me how he was my god...that's when I started to doubt the wisdom of my decision! I found myself furvently praying that God (the real God) would protect me from this clearly unstable character and just get him out of my car soon!
I survived that first experience, and upon telling people about it later that day, they tried to strongly impress upon me that picking up hitch hikers was unsafe, and definitely not what God was calling me to do. Young, foolish, and still convinced that God was calling me to do this, I picked up Harold on my way home. He was an older gentleman on his way home from work, who just needed a ride. He didn't say anything scary, crazy or unstable, but rather spoke of how happy his wife would be when he got home early, thanks to my assistance.
I still to this day pick up hitch hikers, and have found far more like Harold, than like Davey. Sometimes I feel like I've been a real blessing, but more often than not, I just feel very blessed myself. I pick up hitch hikers, no longer because I'm young and foolish, but because I'm certain that God has called me to in this small way be a co-laborer with Christ.
When the apostle Paul had his conversion (Acts 9:1-20) another person became convinced that God was calling him to be a co-laborer with Christ. Ananias was called to go to Paul (then called Saul) and pray for him. Even though he knew the man he was being called to pray for to be an enemy of Christians, and desiring to kill them, Ananias was faithful and obeyed God's calling. It's possible that if not for Ananias' faithfulness and willingness to work alongside Christ, that Paul's story would be completely different.
These two stories illustrate an important point. Often when people think of doing "the Lord's work" or of being "co-laborers with Christ" they think of missionaries, pastors, and the like. Rarely do people think of things like picking up hitch hikers, praying for others, or such simple things. The reality is that while the big opportunities exist and will certainly come your way, the smaller opportunities are almost always present. You can work alongside Christ by simply holding a door, giving a smile, or helping a friend, co-worker, or stranger in need.
The question is not if God is calling you, or if Christ needs you to be a co-laborer with him, but rather to what is God calling you, and how Christ needs you to be a co-laborer. I pray that you'll listen, hear and then follow God's leading in your life, so that you too can be a co-laborer with Christ.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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