I am Ready. Romans 1:15 There is an enthusiastic note to the words of the apostle Paul as he thinks of Rome. Rome was the center of the political world at that time. The emperor was there. It was the center of the Gentile world. The carnal activities of an ungodly generation were there. It had men of learning, culture, and influence living and teaching there. Victory parades of soldiers and their captives marched into Rome and through its streets. It was the center of all kinds of sinful activity. What a place for the soul winner to be! In the center of Paul's being, he was ready to preach Good News in Rome!
Rome, as a city and culture, despised the Jews, but he was ready. Perhaps Paul was a small man and to outward appearance weak, he was ready. He had a thorn in the flesh, but he was ready. He wasn't interested in going up the Apian Way in a victory parade. He was willing to march alone with Christ to the center of the Gentile world and preach the Gospel. What a spirit! What a man of faith in his Lord! He did finally get there - as a prisoner. He did preach there in his own hired house. He did see the results of the Gospel even in Caesar's household. God had His way and time for Christ to be preached through this willing servant. He was ready!
The example given to us by this faithful servant is that we, too, may be ready to preach the Gospel where our Lord leads us. It is the path for every faithful servant to follow - the path of faith. The Lord Jesus Himself walked that path. Paul walked that path. Faithful stewards of the Gospel have walked that path down through the past centuries. Now, it is our time to walk the path of faith and be ready to preach the Gospel. Paul was eager to give that work his very best, and so should we. The place and time of God’s leading depend on Him to open the door of opportunity. It may be in an entirely different way than what we expected that our Lord would send us into a place to bring the Good News. It is up to us to be ready.
When we understand and appreciate what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us and what He will do for others, we want to tell others the way of salvation. An eagerness to witness for the Lord may even bring a certain amount of curiosity in people hopefully motivating them to think about what we have found so good and meaningful in our lives. John 3:16 tells of the Love of God who sent the Son of God so that those who put their Faith in Him will have Everlasting Life. That was why Paul the apostle was eager to preach the Gospel to people in Rome, and it is the same reason we, too, want to pass on the Gospel to people where we live.