A Prayer to Be Disposable for the Lord
By Christine F. Perry
Bible Reading:
"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.” 2 Timothy 4:6 NKJV
Listen or Read Below:
After years of writing, months of editing, followed by months of waiting, I held my first book, How I Met Peace, in my hands. It was a surreal moment. I was elated. I had always wanted to write a book, but never thought I would. It wasn’t until God pushed me out of a painful ministry experience, and on, what I would call, the sidelines. I was at a loss as to what to do and felt as though I was starting from the bottom with no clear way forward. Yet, it was during that season that I began to write ferociously.
That period of writing lent itself not to one book but to two. A year following the publication of How I Met Peace, For the Weary Life Traveler came out.
You may be thinking this is great, but what does publishing books have to do with being disposable? Well, just last year, I received an email from my publisher. He wrote that they were having to downsize and How I Met Peace would be pulled from publication. I was shocked, hurt, and disappointed.
As I went through that day in a fog, trying to keep my head above the sinking feeling of not being enough, Elisabeth Elliot’s words came to me, “If we are soldiers of Jesus Christ, 2 Timothy 2:4, he is our commanding officer, and we take his orders, and we’re completely disposable. Let's never forget that we’re completely disposable.” I realized not only am I to be disposable for Christ, but the books He has allowed me to write are also at His disposal. He can do with them as He pleases.
If I am being honest, this is a continuous battle for me because this attitude and mentality need to be applied to every area of my life. I may be okay surrendering my books, but am I okay surrendering my relational status? Am I willing to be childless for Him? Am I willing to endure a trying disease for Him? Am I willing to be overlooked for Him?
Paul says to Timothy that he is being poured out as a drink offering. If we take a moment to look at Paul’s life, nothing about Paul’s life looks like Paul. His life looked like Christ. He was beaten, shipwrecked, imprisoned, wrongly accused, abandoned, and yet it was evident that he was not living for himself or this life but for Christ and for His Kingdom.
When we look at our lives, mine included, what does it look like? Are we busy building our own kingdoms, careers, and names for ourselves? Or are we building Christ’s Kingdom? When people see us, hear us, and interact with us, are they learning about us or are they learning about Christ?
Paul goes on in his letter to Timothy by saying this, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." - 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV
Let's Pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
You say in Matthew 10:39, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.” Lord, I ask that You help us to remember that we are soldiers for You and that we are Your servants. Please help us not to make much of ourselves but to make much of You.
Lord, there is nothing good in us, and the only thing we bring to our salvation is our sin. We are helpless without You. Please draw us close to You. Please help us to be humble, gentle, kind, long-suffering, believing all things, hoping all things, and enduring all things for the glory of Your name.
Lord, we love You. Help us to love You better each moment You give us to live. Help us to look out not for our own interests but to seek the benefit of others. And please, point out the areas in our lives that are not pleasing to You and help us to correct them so that we can be useful to You.
Amen!
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/shuang paul wang
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Related Resource: When Life Unravels: Biblical Strategies for Hard Seasons
Few challenges stretch a parent’s faith and emotional reserves more than life’s unexpected curveball seasons—the plot twists that leave you wondering, “God, what are you doing?” How do you remain anchored in truth when the bottom drops out?
This week on Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine welcomes back her very first guest and trusted friend, Dr. Erin Barry, to help parents not only survive, but find hope and stability in life’s most turbulent moments. Dr. Barry is a clinical Christian counselor, author, homeschool expert, and co-founder of inseparableLives.com. Her biblically grounded wisdom comes from over 30 years of walking families through the storms of life.
In this transparent and practical episode, Catherine gets real about her own season of loss, uncertainty, and a series of shocking life upheavals—from parenting a prodigal, to family moves, to sudden job loss. Using these stories as a backdrop, Dr. Barry unpacks essential biblical strategies for clinging to faith and finding stability when life feels out of control. If this episode helps you be a more thoughtful parent, be sure to follow Christian Parent, Crazy World on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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