Wednesday, December 8, 2010

the lost sheep

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:12-14

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’Luke 15:4-6

Both my discipler and my life group leader constantly remind me of this parable, and I had such a good conversation with a brother about it last night.. God, please drill it into me! Every time I walk into life group, I have to remember that it's not about what I want out of it. Last year, I was so inconceivably lost. But He knows our hearts more than we do; He gave me everything I needed through my life group and I didn't even know it. I was clueless, yet I got incredibly blessed.

God, this year I've been very careless. I've been so unfaithful. Will you still use me in my life group for what's left of this school year? Not as one of the lost, but to serve those who are..
Teach me how to sacrifice my comfort and expectations and be used to help them grow. Teach me how to give, and how to give freely.

Our God is the kind who leaves the 99 that remain and goes after the one. Let's not just pray for ourselves, but for the lost.