A WORKER'S PRAYER -- Devotional for September 14, from "Good Seeds"

He’s the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort others in their affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (II Corinthians 1:3-4)

I love the comment I heard once and now often quote regarding the principle reflected in this verse: “God comforts us not just to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.” It takes a certain maturity to turn blessing received into blessing given. A baby demands everything and gives nothing (but cuteness!). A child receives, with little thought of giving. An immature adult takes with no intention of paying. But when we grow, we grow out of such self-serving ways. Paul wrote, “When I was a child I thought and spoke and acted like a child, but when I became a man I put away childish things” (I Corinthians 13:11). It requires not just maturity, but godly character, to realize everything we are and have is a stewardship from God, not to be squandered on self or indulged in for our own pleasure, but to be transformed into loving, useful service to others for the glory and pleasure of God. Frances Havergal embellished this principle in a hymn we seldom sing any more (too bad!):

Lord, speak to me that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
Thy erring children lost and lone.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

So our axiom can be expanded to, “God speaks to us so that we can speak to others; He seeks us, reaches out to us, and teaches us, so that we in turn will do these things to others." These verses -- both of the Scripture and the hymn -- should be on the wall of every pastor’s study, for why are we here if not to speak God's life-giving Word to a dying world, and to reach as we teach into the hidden depths of many a lonely or erring heart? By the way, though this hymn is entitled, “Lord, Speak to Me” in most hymnals today, Ms. Havergal called it, “A Worker’s Prayer.” There are Christians, whose “sins have been forgiven and they’re on their way to heaven” – and then there are Christian workers, who are saved not just to be safe, but “saved to tell others.” Which describes you?