A Dangerous Prayer

A Dangerous Prayer	Next Chapter: A Friend Like Jesus
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the potter, I am the clay! How glibly we sing this and other songs like it. Often we don't really think about the words.. If God is the potter and I am the clay, then God can make of me anything He wants. Of course, I always think of Him making me into a beautiful cup or some other fine piece of art or, at least, a pot to hold beautiful flowers. But what if God needs a chamber pot? (If you don’t know what a chamber pot is, ask the oldest person you know to explain it to you.) Am I really willing to take abuse without reward, work in filth and stench just because God wants me to? Yet, that is just what Mother Theresa did. Over the years, others, too numerous to count, have done it, too. They loved the unlovable, lived an unthinkably low life. Dedicated their lives to living for others. Why? For love? Whose love? Now do you understand why this is such a very, very dangerous prayer?
Should the thing that was created say to the one who made it, "Why have you made me like this?" When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? (Romans 9:20b-21 NLT) "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?' And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'"(Matthew 25:37-40 NLT) ...we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning. (2 John 1:5-6 NLT)
Lord, forgive me for all the times I sang this song without thinking about what the words meant. But now that I have thought about them, I'm scared. I don't know if I can really pray this prayer. I'm scared of what this prayer might do to my life, my family, my job, my home. I'm scared of your awesome, all-consuming love. But, Lord, I trust you and I love you. So, with a deep sense of nervousness, I will pray... Lord, I am willing to be made willing. That's all I can do. The rest is up to you. Amen.
Questions for consideration... If I sing the words of this song and REALLY mean them, what does that mean? Will the words of this song change my life? How? Can I ever sing the words of this song and REALLY mean them? When?