When Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for water, he indicated the proper form our devotion should take. How many of us spend our lives begging Jesus to satisfy our thirst, when we should be satisfying him? To be a witness for the Lord is to lead a life of unsullied, uncompromising, and unbribed devotion. It is to make ourselves a satisfaction to him wherever he places us.
Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ. Sometimes, the greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for him. Instead of losing ourselves in love for our Savior, we busy ourselves with work, allowing it to distract us from our relationship with him. Recall how Jesus admonished Martha, as she rushed about doing chores while her sister, Mary, sat devotedly at his feet: “Martha, Martha,” Jesus said, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better” (Luke 10:41–42).
It is easier to serve than to be drunk with love and devotion. But the one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God. It is not a call to keep busy, or to rack up accomplishments, or to keep a running tally of how many souls we’ve saved. All of that is God’s concern, not ours, and we must leave him to it. We are not called to battle for God but to be used by God in his battles. Are we allowing ourselves to be used in this way?
