Send Me

By R. W. McAlister

    Years ago when I was substitute teaching, I would frequently end up in the early elementary grades. Most who substitute teach don’t enjoy it very much, but I always did, in part because the younger ages had an immeasurable amount of enthusiasm. If ever there was an errand to run, I could always count on a number of hands waving in the air, and it was common to hear, “pick me!” As I’ve gotten older and more involved in the work of the Lord’s church, I look around at my fellow Christians at home and in other congregations my family and I occasionally visit, and I can’t help but wonder where that child-like enthusiasm has gone. The predominant attitude seems to be, “Well, I hope nobody asks me to do
anything!”  
    I’ve overheard conversations dealing with something that needs to be done to the church building or something that needs to be done in regard to the work of the church, and the question was often, “Well, who’s going to do that?” Was this the attitude Isaiah had? Recall Isaiah 6:8. Just prior to this passage, the Lord was considering whom to send to reach out to disobedient Israel. In this passage, Isaiah is speaking and the Bible reads, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
    Where is the enthusiasm of Isaiah today? Many of us in the Lord’s church want the church to grow, but how much do we do toward that end? We cannot expect the work of the church to progress if we don’t help it along. The church will not experience the same growth it saw in the first century if only a “handful” are evangelizing. This work requires everyone.   
    We can also apply this principle to our everyday lives. Be willing to do what needs to be done without having to be asked. This makes for a very positive atmosphere and an enjoyable place to be. If every Christian were willing to fulfill his or her duties as a Christian and pitch in and help out, every congregation of the Lord’s church would grow in spirit and in number.   
    The next time something needs to be done for God (or another), try saying, “Here am I, send me.”  
 
 - R. W. McAlister preaches for the Anna Church of Christ in Anna, IL.He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://www.annachurchofchrist.com/