What Will You Do?

This morning I was in the kitchen with my husband putting together his lunch for work. My hands are not very strong anymore and I needed help opening a jar. I asked, “Can you open this please?” Immediately, my thought was I had asked a very silly question. Of course he can open the jar. My question really was, “Will you open this please?” This brought on a flashback of life with grandkids when the four lived with us.

Some of them had a little confusion and would ask, “May you give me a drink of water? Or May you pass the potatoes?” I tried on many an occasion to help them understand the different uses for can, will and may in the simplest of terms. They were quite young at that point.

Can - be physically or mentally able to

Will - used to express desire, choice, willingness

May - have permission to

Do we as Christians have confusion, as well, when it comes to serving the Lord? We certainly may serve Him. Scripture gives many references where we are instructed on how to serve Him, others and the Kingdom in specific ways. So it is evident we may (have permission to) serve by virtue of that instruction.

All of us can (be physically or mentally able to) serve one way or another. Even on my most pain-ridden days, I can still serve Him as He has called me to do. I might not always be able to trek the mountains of Costa Rica in street ministry or machete my way through a jungle in the Yucatan as I have done on mission trips before but there is always something I can do. I can sit at my computer and send out this devotional blog. This only goes out via internet. My prayer is that the Lord uses this to reach as many people as possible. He called me to use the gift of writing He so graciously gave me for His purposes. This I can do when I can’t do much else. You, too, may have limitations of one sort or another, that doesn’t mean you can’t do something. Pray for His guidance if you need direction. He’s not bashful, He’ll tell you want He wants you to do.

This brings us to will. Somehow, it always boils down to will (used to express desire, choice, willingness), doesn’t it? God gave us free will, not free can or free may. Free will gives us the choice to do or not to do. God gave us the ability and permission to act as His hands, feet and voice to the unsaved world. We can choose, we may choose and we will choose. The bottom-line is always - what will we choose? To serve or not to serve, that is the question.