Do I Want To?

Matthew 8:1 - 3:

When He came down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him.

And, behold, there came a leper and bowed down to Him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, You can make me clean".

And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, and said,
"I want to...........".

Becoming a disciple of Christ, purposing to obey Him and to make disciples of all men, committing to do the things Christ taught us to do.....is all about wanting to.

It's not about ability.
It's about AVAIL-ability.
Do I want to?

Even if I don't feel that I am experienced enough?
Do I want to?
Even if I am hurting today and I need a touch from God...
Do I want to?
Even if I will be rejected when I reach out...
Do I want to?
Even if I have never done it before and I'm afraid...
Do I want to?

When the believer Bono first visited Africa with his wife in the mid-1980s, he was transformed by the experience.

"I remember waking up in the mornings and watching mist lift, as tens of thousands of people would be walking," he says. "They would have walked through the night to come and beg for food, to come and leave their children."

"I remember one man, this beautiful man with a beautiful boy, his son. He was so proud. And he came up to me and said, 'Please. Will you take my son? My son will have no life if I look after him. He is sure to die. But if you take him, he is sure to live.' And as [those who minister in Africa] will tell you, you can't do that. You had to say no."

"Well, it's the last time I'm saying no."

Every morning, the mist is lifting before every one of us - regardless of where we live and work - revealing the hopeless masses that surround us. They know who we are, or at least who we profess to be. They are looking us in the eye and calling out for help. The only question is, "Do I want to?"

One by one, there is a petition of Life that we must each sign, or forever turn away from the faith, hope and love that rest in Jesus Christ.

One by one, each of us who have determined to become disciples of Christ must put our name to this declaration of willingness, and then act upon it:

"I want to."