Session 9: Relentless

Mother Theresa came from nowhere (Albania) to become the most influential woman on planet Earth. Presidents and leaders and Popes stood in line for an hour of her time.
It was inevitable: “The eyes of the LORD rove throughout the world for someone committed to God”
She made several important vows:

Do His bidding without delay
Vowed to keep the little things: always honor people, clean up after them, go to end of the line, etc.

If you were God, whose world had gone to shambles, but who insists on using people, who would you pick? Someone with carte blanche yieldedness.

After a dozen years, God told her to spend her life serving the desperate poor in Calcutta, living with them in quietness.

At Summit 2000, had people wave a white flag of surrender if they were fully yielded to God.
People who were committed to God reported that they received a new assignment from God. There seemed to be a correlation between yieldedness and getting an assignment from God.
Others did not do what God wanted because of money, ego, comfort, security. There are not happy stories.
Always say yes to God

After she said yes to God, the next six months were really frustrating—her superior, Father V—-, didn’t think it was a good idea. She vision-casted him in many meetings. Other nuns spread a rumor that she had romantic attraction to him. When the obstacles came:

did I make this up? What am I willing to give up? How long am I willing to wait? Do I believe God can change hearts?
This period will happen. Can’t just bail on it, nor can you bulldoze through it.
Father V—- eventually let her appeal to the archbishop, who turned her down. She continually wrote letters to him. Eventually she just said “I don’t care if I die, just let me go.” This point is when the leader is ready. Took 1.5 years.
Need to wait as long as it takes. Weeks, months, years. Just need to outpray the opposition. Callings are precious commodities—we may only get one of them in a lifetime, sometimes more.

She was relentless in pursuing God’s work. She learned to hire, fire, to manage, to lead.
Had long periods where she didn’t feel God’s love and companionship and warmth. Was really frustrated. But she said, “even though I don’t feel god’s love, I will love Him like He has never been loved.”

When she became unexpectedly famous in her later years, she fought off the corrosive effects of fame. [notes end]
[Bill Hybels called for people to pray with him and tell God they were fully committed to Him.]