MVP: The Most Valuable Person in the Lord's Eyes



Last week I wrote Only Lovers Can Be Mighty. Being a lover and a warrior are two sides of the same coin. This week though I was reminded of a fellowship I had with Mr. Danker, an older brother in the Lord, concerning: Who would be the most valuable person in the Lord's eyes?

Previously I considered being a lover and being the most valuable person as pretty much identical. I mean if you're a lover to someone, then by default, aren't you the most valuable person in that someone's eyes? Our answer would, of course, be yes. Now let us consider together.

If that lover of yours truly, deeply, fervently, crazily love you, but simultaneously strong in the sense of always insisting upon his/her ways, styles, concepts of values, standards, and opinions; is he/she still practically the most valuable person in your eyes? Tough question, isn't it? But I would say practically no.

Please do not misunderstand me here. I have not defined the characteristics of a true lover in this post, although I somewhat did in my previous one. Without question, by nature, a true lover will exhibit this characteristic that I'm about to highlight.

Before going more into that, let's talk about being valuable for a moment. The word 'valuable' is literally defined as: of monetary worth and/or of considerable use, service, or importance. Obviously I'm not talking about monetary worth so let's scratch that. Now we're left with this intrinsic question: Does being lovers guarantee the fact that we would be of considerable use, service, or importance to the Lord?

The answer actually consists of another question: Well, what kind of lovers are we?

"The most valuable person in the Lord's eyes is an open person."

That's what Mr. Danker said when I asked him how we should follow the Lord. He further elaborated how we should be like sailing ships that would just let the wind blows and directs. At that time, I asked the question because I had fallen in love with the Lord and would like to give myself to follow Him but I didn't know how. Surprisingly to me, the most valuable person is not the most upright person, not the strictest person, not the most devoted.

OPEN is a simple, yet profound word. I think Mr. Danker's illustration of a sailing ship works best in explaining this open-ness. I know that the sailors have something to do with steering the direction of the sailing ship, but the sailing ship has more or less committed her fate to the wind. Most people are not comfortable going through twists and turns. Mr. Danker and his wife had found themselves moving around the globe again and again without even intending to do so. He said the Lord had a need and through the fellowship of the Body, he and his wife simply had to move to a new place.

A closed person is a set, settled, and occupied being. There's something in such a person that would refuse a change of direction, an adapting to a new environment. Now what if the Lord has a need, are we, His lovers, going to be adamant about staying put?

An open person is a person who is always ready to move his heart, his feet, his belongings whenever the Lord calls for him; a person who attends to the Lord. With no doubt, such lover is the most valuable person in His eyes- a person who would readily respond to His need.

Comments

  1. reminds me of Proverbs 21:1
    The king's heart is like streams of water in the hand of Jehovah; He turns it wherever He wishes.

    Lord, keep us open to You. Direct our heart wherever You wish. We do not wish to be settled and occupied with our old ways but always open to You and to what You are willing and doing on this earth. Lord Jesus, may we just always remain open to You for the fulfillment of Your purpose. Amen.

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    1. Prov. 21:1 is a great verse, David. I'm grateful you mentioned that. Our heart needs to be such a one that God would be able to turn wherever He wishes.

      Amen to your prayer, David. May the Lord direct our heart, our feet, our future wherever and whenever He wishes... that we would be stepping stones for His move on this earth.

      Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Thank you for the reminder Katherine that although the Lord has many people doing thing for Him what He truly wants is some who are open

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    1. You're welcome. Actually this post is firstly a reminder to me, but I hope we all would be reminded to stay open to the Lord's leading. :)

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  3. Wow, Katherine what a timely reminder of what the Lord sees as precious in His sight. It's easy to get off track thinking that we need to do something for the Lord when what He really wants is for us to be open to Him, one with Him and to allow Him to use us as He sees fit.

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    1. Yes, Linda. I think I have to confess myself that oftentimes I want to do things for Him without first checking what He actually wants.

      Our opening is actually our listening to His voice, so that He can infuse us with Himself, with His heart's desire.

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  4. I remember reading this in the Life-Study of I & II Timothy,

    "Whether there could be a day of glory in the church's victory or grievous days of the church's decline depends altogether upon what we set our heart upon, what it is we love."

    The older I get the more I realize what a great work the Lord has to do in a person to simplify them so that they are open to move by and with the Spirit. I'm also reminded of John 3:8,

    "The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

    That should be the characteristic of our Christian life. On the one hand we should be very human but on the other hand there should be something mysterious to other people about our living.

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    1. That's quite profound, David. There is this divine and mystical realm about following the Lord because it's so inward. I was actually baffled by Mr. Danker & his wife's willingness to be uprooted and transplanted again and again into a totally new environment. If I didn't know that they were following the Lord's calling, I would totally question their motive.

      Listening to Mr. Danker though, telling about his different experiences, there was definitely something fragrant, attracting, and sweet. Mysterious yet attractive indeed.

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  5. Wow, this post touched my heart. Sometimes it is difficult to trust in the Lord when the world is constantly asking "what are your goals in life?" Recently I've noticed that I have a plan and a route I want to take in life but it is really good to be reminded that we need to put our trust fully in God.
    My prayer after reading this post was, "Lord, I want to be open to whatever You are doing. Lord, I give my whole being, life and everything to You."

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    1. Yes. Isn't it comforting to be able to trust in His heart toward us? Sometimes we're mistaken to think that the Lord just wants to use us as mere tools. On the contrary, His heart is always good toward us. In His wisdom, He is both shepherding and causing us to function at the same time.

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  6. I was really touched by the simplicity you presented here of our value to the Lord. I'm reminded of 2 Cor 11:3 "Lest...your thoughts would be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity toward Christ." We are so often complicated but He is a simplifying God.

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    1. Simple yet profound indeed. We simply need to be open but once we are open, He imparts His whole being into us!

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  7. Reminds me of the hymn "I know not what awaits me." The chorus says,
    Where He may lead, I'll follow,
    My trust in Him repose;
    And every hour in perfect peace,
    I'll sing, "He knows, He knows."

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    1. It's a very touching hymn, Gabe. Thanks for sharing. Our openness is our daily consecration to Him, isn't it?

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  8. I know the Dankers also. I am so glad to see so many patterns of people who can do so much with their life and ability, yet they are OPEN to the Lord for what He needs. I want to be such a one, an open vessel, open for both His dispensing AND for His need.

    And, to continue Gabe's song, "one step I see before me... God kindly fills my eyes"... - "I'd rather walk in the dark with God, then go alone in the light"... Lord, wherever You may lead us, we want to just follow!

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    1. Could you elaborate more on the thought of an open vessel, Stefan?

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  9. Katherine, there was a time when I thought loving the Lord was just doing my best to please Him. I was so surprised when I found out that what pleases Him most is to enjoy Him in the moment as much as possible and follow Him as we live and speak everyday.

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    1. Amen. John 6:28-36 expounds this question of how should we work the work of God. The answer is to believe into Him whom God has sent. Then the portion continues to present the Lord as the Bread of life.

      This is our enjoyment of Him as our daily portion, daily nourishment, daily revival!

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  10. AMEN! WOW, WE NEED TO BE OPEN!
    While i was reading I immediatelty thought about a song in spanish that says,
    "Not what I want to be
    Nor where I want to go
    For who am I...

    My father has chosen
    The better pathway..

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    1. Oh wow. Who am I, my Father has chosen the better pathway! Do you have the actual link where I can get this song, Andrea?

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  11. Lord, keep us open!

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  12. Three years ago I was at a conference on "Following the Lamb wherever He may Go" from Revelation 14. I never saw before how highly the Lord values people who follow Him wherever He may go. There may have been a lot more qualified people that the Jesus met in His ministry than the 12. But the 12 left everything and followed Him whereas many others did not. And the 12 disciples were all young, so I'm sure they had plans for the future. But when their life intersected the Jesus' ministry they dropped them.

    I was struck recently by the Lord's appraisal of them at the end of His ministry. "But you are those who have remained with Me throughout My trials (Luke 22:28)." To me that speaks volumes. Lord keep us open!

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