Here I Am
Mr. Phil Sena began his forum on willingness by stating that a person’s level of willingness reveals their heart. He went on to give several examples of individuals who displayed willing attitudes in the Bible and the different qualities they had.
Abraham
When God called Abraham’s name, Abraham responded, “Here I am,” This indicates that Abraham trusted God because before Abraham even knew what God was about to ask of him, he was willing to follow God. Mr. Sena revealed this quality about Abraham: his willingness to build a relationship with God over time. He then was willing to follow through on what God had asked of him. Genesis 22 records three instances of Abraham’s willingness to trust God, where he replies, “Here I am.” Hebrews 11:17- 19 further describes this characteristic of Abraham.
Moses
Exodus 3:1-4 describes Moses’ encounter with God, calling him from a burning bush, showing that God can make His will known unexpectedly. When God called Moses from the midst of the burning bush, he responded, “Here I am.” Moses was willing to follow God even in this unexpected situation. In the same way, there may be unexpected opportunities to serve in a congregation, and we should be willing to help, which can happen at different times in a person’s life, before and after baptism.
Samuel
A willingness to follow God is not limited to older people; young people can demonstrate a desire to obey God. God called Samuel when he was young; age did not exempt him from responding. Proverbs 4:1-7 directs young people to get wisdom and be willing to follow God.
Ananias
Mr. Sena used the example of Ananias in Acts to show that willingness does not require ordination. Ananias is mentioned simply as a disciple of Christ (Acts 9:10).
Christ asked Ananias to go to the house of Saul, who persecuted the saints and gave him sight; Ananias willingly followed through on this request even though he was not ordained.
What if we lack motivation or willingness?
There are two steps we can use to combat a lack of motivation.
- As Philippians 2:12-13 shows, we can ask God for willingness to do His good pleasure. We can go to God to help us “work out” our own salvation and desire to change and become more like Jesus Christ.
- If sin is holding us back, Isaiah 58:6 tells us to fast. Verses 9 and 10 state the result of this fast of repentance: “Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’” This fast of repentance from sin will lead to a willing attitude, and we can start this process anytime.
Final Thoughts
This forum used the examples of several individuals in the Bible to highlight different qualities of willingness. We must seek God and repent of our sins to gain gusto because this is essential to respond to God’s call. Are you willing?
