"Could This Be True of Me?" by Oswald Chambers

"It is easier to serve God without a vision, easier to work for God without a call, because then you are not bothered by what God requires; common sense is your guide, veneered over with Christian sentiment. You will be more prosperous and successful, more leisure-hearted, if you never realize the call of God. But if once you received a commission from Jesus Christ, the memory of what God wants will always come like a goad; you will no longer be able to work for Him on a common-sense basis.
What do I really count dear? If I have not been gripped by Jesus Christ, I will count service dear, time given to God dear, my life dear unto myself. Paul says he counted his life dear only in order that he might fulfill the ministry he had received; he refused to use his energy for any other thing. Acts 20:24 states Paul's almost sublime annoyance at being asked to consider himself; he was absolutely indifferent to any consideration other than that of fulfilling the ministry he had received. Practical work may be a competitor against abandonment to God, because practical work is based on this argument--Remember how useful you are here, or--Think how much value you would be in this particular work. That attitude does not put Christ as the guide as to where we are most use. Never consider whether you are of use; but ever consider that you are not your own but His."