I have the honor to be a part of an amazing ministry that goes out every week and feed the homeless of Dallas – both physically & spiritually. It has become something that I cannot go without. Why? Because serving people makes you happy.
I spoke a few weeks ago about loving oneself as yourself (Wonderfully Made). I believe every word of this post, but I also believe that to love yourself fully & experience true happiness, we must cease self-serving behavior/thinking. We must not always think about yourself & your situation.
Am I calling everyone reading this post selfish? Well, yes I am. I am calling myself selfish too. You see, because we are all sinners, we all have a tendency to err on the selfish side of life. We must keep that tendency in check. How? By serving others without anything expected back.
Ponder this scripture:
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14 NLT)
I challenge you this week to serve someone. It doesn’t have to be way out of your way. Serve your family in a way you never have. Give a lonely person a gift or card. Make a selfless gesture in someone’s life without expecting anything in return. I fully believe that you will find great joy in this.
If your not careful, you may find yourself becoming addicted to it.
In grade school, I remember watching a movie about nature. In that movie, it showed an entire forest burning. As we watched trees that stood as tall as buildings fall, the narrator described how fire – death – creates new life. The ashes of those before actually fertilize the ground so new things can thrive. Old things must pass away for fresh, new things to start growing. Through this fire, the forest life will actually be stronger.
Spiritually, this happens, too. We all go through the fire. There are seasons where it seems like everything that we hold dear is taken from us. It is scary and makes no sense. But there is great purpose in these seasons.
Take a look at these two scriptures:
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (Isaiah 43:2 NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4 NLT)
God is with us, even in the fire. He is refining us so that, in our next season, we will be ready for the new things that are He is going to bless is with. Never get discouraged when trials come – great things are always around the corner. Keep your faith strong & never give up.
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’
A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:34-37, 39-40 NLT)
When I was in grad school at DBU, one professor spoke on this scripture. It has resonated with me because she posed a different perspective that I never had seen up to that point – in order to love people as ourselves, we must first love ourselves.
The concept at first seems selfish, at least it does for me, but when you start to look into the human psyche – our souls – you will find that we simply reflect out what we have inside.
That is why people have that saying – “When people treat you bad it isn’t about you, it’s about them.”
Ultimately, then, in order to serve & love others properly, we must first take care of ourselves. Not in a selfish or cruel way. Not because we are better than someone else. Not because I’m a Christian & they aren’t. Because we have a responsibility to be the best us we can be – because God made us as we are for a reason.
Ponder this scripture:
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! (Psalms 139:13-18 NLT)
We are all, each one of us, His creation; therefore, if one person needs to take care of themself, then we all do. To the one who we are to love with all our hearts, our minds & our souls, then we need to make sure they are worthy. Allow God to show you your personal value & worth. Let Him help you understand why it isn’t selfish to take care of you.
Are you a people pleaser? Well, I am. I absolutely hate when someone doesn’t like me. Odds are, I am going to come into contact with a number of people who will not approve of who I am and what I do.
There was a time in my life that this idea would consume me – so much that I would do everything to make sure it didn’t happen. That way of life is a slippery slope and I found myself in a place where I no longer knew who I was. That is not just a problem for me…but also for our Creator. He “knit us together in (our) mothers’ womb(s)” (Psalm 139:13). We are to work & please Him only, not others. (See Romans 12:2).
Now, my goal is to make Him happy. Do I still fall into the pattern of my past? Of course, I am human. But I don’t let it control me or change who I am. We are all too precious to compromise who we are in Him for someone else…who isn’t Him.
No, this post is not a post encouraging rebellion against authority. God has commanded us to list to authority and follow their commands – see Mark 12:17. We cannot make false gods of them, though.
One of my favorite quotes by Mother Teresa reads:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway
Also, ponder this scripture:
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12:1-3 MSG)
We are to live for the One who gave His life so that we can live. Follow His lead. Live like that & I truly believe you will know what it is like to be happy. Be you & trust Him – it is enough.
Trust – one of the most beautiful things in this world. There is something about someone giving you their trust – it shows you how much they value you. It is also one of the hardest things to give to people and yet is the one of the few components in a relationship that you need to be in relationship with someone. I think our society, especially, has an issue with trust as we are so independent. We take care of ourselves and then take care of those around us. Eat or be eaten, right?
How this is so far from the message of Christ. One thing that strikes me in the story of the time between when Christ is captured and before He is crucified is how He just takes it (see John 18). He doesn’t give His accusers the satisfaction of saying that they are right, but He also doesn’t try to run. He knows His assignment and puts up with whatever He needs to do in order to get His job done.
I am all for independence and fighting for what you believe in, fighting for your boundaries, and keeping your dignity. God does not want us to be miserable. He desires for us to be happy and content, living well. Is this always the case? No, it isn’t. Unfortunately, because we live in a world where there is turmoil everywhere – we will have to face trials.
If you are like me, when you go through trials – you try to figure things out. I can actually make myself sick trying to figure things out. I want to know what is going to happen when I take the turn in front of me. I don’t want to put myself at risk for being hurt or to be put in a more precarious position that I already am in. The issue with this mindset is that I do not control the universe. I didn’t speak the world into existence. I am not omnipresent or live absent of time. I am here on this Earth, walking this thing out, living day to day. I do not have the capabilities of controlling such things. I MUST trust God.
There are times when I will struggle with this for days. As a result, I must repent. Why? Because not trusting God is actually a sin. We are telling Him that we know better than He does – with is rebellion. That is the original sin. I am making more of this situation than I need to – all is asked of me is to trust Him and follow Him. Simple, right?
Ponder this scripture: When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. Isaiah 43:2 NLT
For all you fellow control freaks – know that whatever you must endure, God will not allow it to consume you, but will be right there beside you (Matthew 28:20). God has it all planned out. Just trust Him!
I was recently watching a movie where, for one scene, they visited Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdame. I have read her diary and learned her story, as many have, but while watching the movie, a concept hit me that I have not given much thought – Anne, someone who is pretty much known world wide as giving a voice to the victims of one of the world’s worst genocides – died at the young age of 15 not knowing how great her impact on this world will be. It is all because her father decided to publish her diary that we now know who this old-soul is.
Very few of us will have this type of world-wide legacy, but do we fully understand how Our Father can use even the simplest of things we say & do without us even knowing it? I don’t think so. I honestly don’t think we understand the authority God gave us when he created us in His image (both male & female). See Genesis 1:26-27.
How often do we say or do things without thinking, especially when we are around people we don’t know? A lot, at least for me – if I am perfectly honest. Are we considering the fact that God may be bringing people into out lives for even just a moment so we can show them Him? Or how He can use us to answer a prayer? Like Anne Frank, our impact on people’s lives may never be fully understood by us, but to those we, even briefly, come into contact with are potentially changed forever because Our Father is using those little, somewhat insignificant things to change the world.
I dare say that we have a responsibility, first to God and then to each other, to always be us and don’t waiver because we had a bad day or people wouldn’t like it.
Ponder this scripture:
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:14-16 NLT)
No matter how small the thing is – a smile, holding the door open, a thank you – it can be used by God because we are made in His image & there is no thing that He does that leaves a small aspect.
Truth – “the real facts about something” is how Merrium-Webster defines that word. To put that on paper, it seems simple and straight forward. In the real world, though, there is a lot of false things that are disguised as truth.
For instance, you only live once, so why not try it? Or, if it feels right, then it is right. That is our world’s philosophy right now, but I wouldn’t classify us as being in a good place. In many ways, we have lost sight of the truth.
Think on this statement by Christ:
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NLT)
To me, this says that the only real truth is in Christ Jesus. Everything else is false. How can we access the truth? By reading His word (John 1:1). The Bible contains life’s road map to how we need to live.
When we stray, when we stop believing the real truth, when lies control our lives, which happens to the best of us – how do we get back on track? Seek His face and notice the things that are going on in our life. Evaluate the quality of your life. Are things going right or wrong? Do you have a love for your life? If things are not all too pleasant, ponder this:
And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. (Hebrews 12:5-8 NLT)
Open a line of communication with Our Heavenly Father and let Him lead you where you need to go. Don’t let lies bring you down. He loves us too much not to chase after us. Let Him catch you and guide you.
Oh how very different we all are. There are really no two people that are alike. God designed it that way. We are all his creation & masterpiece and sincerely valued by the God of Angel Armies.
How ironic that we ultimately are all the same? Maybe not in look, character, or personality…but in reality, there is one sure thing that binds us together as one body – our desperate need for a savior.
I don’t care how holy or evil one may seem, we need the Cross daily. No one is perfect or Devine except for the God-head. So many times, though, we get it mixed up.
One thing I discovered as a counselor is how deeply Our Father loves each of His children, no matter what they have done. It struck me speechless many times His deep, pure, unconditional love He has.
Thus, we must understand that we cannot treat those who do horrible things as second class citizens or as if those of us who are “good” are more deserving. Why? Because everything you do to people, you do to God. (Matthew 25:40)
Therefore, we must treat people well not because they deserve – we need to treat people well because we are doing it for God. Of course, we need to honor our own boundaries because we need to treat ourselves well, too. If we treat people the way they deserve to be treated, then no one, including ourselves, would ever be respected. Ultimately, without the Cross, we are all disgusting.
Remember that we are ALL in need of a savior every day, that God loves ALL His creation, and we must do to people what we want done to us. (Luke 6:31)
Take a peek at this scripture:
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:8-10 NLT)
Remember that homeless man, the sketchy lady you run into, or the thug on the street…they were all created for a purpose by our creator, just like you!
Last night, I was added to a group text with some friends. An issue occurred that caused me to receive things out of order. It was crazy and a bit funny. I can only imagine what the others on the text thought when I kept saying “I don’t know what is going on.” I am pretty sure they were LOL-ing.
How many times do we do that with God? He gives us a piece…a glimpse…of what our life is to be like and when things start to look strange, we turn to Him and say “I don’t know what is going on here.” We are trying to make sense of it all when we don’t have all the pieces.
1 Samuel (starting with chapter 15) and 2 Samuel speaks on the life of King David. A young shepherd boy who, out of the blue, was anointed as King. In order to fulfill that role, he had to endure the wilderness and rejection. Do you think if he knew about his time in the wilderness, he would have graciously accepted that role?
We must trust God even when things look out of order. He knows what He is doing. Trust that one day, it will all make sense. The valley of the shadow of death is real, but His grace is even more real.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says: Trust in The Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Do you know what happened with the group text? It all came in eventually…a bit out of order, but I was able to piece everything together. I pray God gives you the wisdom to do that with your life.
Waiting is a hard thing to do. There are times we may wait for years before we see the things God has laid out for us. In this interim, we must deal with our surroundings in a way that it doesn’t detract from our future. In other words, we must not become stagnant, bitter and angry. How do we do that? We stay humble. The definition of being humble is “not proud; not thinking of (or showing) yourself as better than other people.” Humility is a subject that is talked about a lot in churches. It also is mentioned many times in the Bible – 3751 to be exact. I know that this subject has been spoken on a lot, but because it is so important and, dare I say, because it is one of the hardest things for us to master, let’s dig into it and find out how we can remain humble in a season of waiting.
Being bold is not just about waiting – it is about everything that we do. Thus, we must let it permeate every part of us- which includes how we treat others around us. Training oneself to put yourself last takes some conscious decisions. It is not easy. There are some key people in our lives that we need to deliberately be humble to. Some, it will be easy to put them first, but others, not so much. God does care about our feelings. He knows our heart (Psalm 139:1-4) and understands why, when we interact with some people, humility is not our first thought. He does not want us to hurt, but He wants us to live our lives for Him, thus loving others (1 John 3:16). In doing so, we will see His hand and know His victory (Deut. 20:4; 1 Peter 5:5).
The first in the group of people we must humble ourselves to is those who lead us. Whether you are someone who volunteers here and there at your church or someone who sits on the Pastoral staff, we all have leaders. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 says that we must show respect and wholehearted love to our leaders because of their work. We must show those who have to make the hard decisions honor. King David showed King Saul great respect despite the fact that David was the anointed King and Saul was not doing a good job ruling the kingdom. It didn’t matter – the man that was after God’s own heart knew that he needed to honor the man in power as long as he held that position (1 Sam. 24).
In turn, the next group of people who we must show honor and humility to are those who serve us in our ministries. Whether you are a top ministry leader or a lower tier leader in a church, you have people who work for your cause. In any of these cases, consider yourself blessed. Why? 1 Peter 5:2-4 talks about how we need to care for the flock that God entrusted to us – not to get anything out of it, but because we are serving others. In doing this, our reward will be great in Heaven. So we should be just like Jesus in John 13 and kneel before our people and be the example for those who are watching us. Thus, we are planting seeds and building other ministries with even minute acts of kindness.
The third group of people that every Christian should be humble to is those who look up to us in our journey. We all have a story and we all have a past. Anyone in ministry has a story that will reach someone. As you walk your journey, there will be people who look up to you – who admire where you have come from and want to see themselves in that stage of journey at some point in their own future. Philippians 2:3 states “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.” In the business of life, we forget that we need to make time for those around us. Remember to take time for those who may really need us in our lives.
Alongside the ones above, we now move onto the more unpleasant people in our lives. There are a group of people who, in our season of waiting, we will see get the chances that we so desire. Regardless of how upset this may make us, we must still be humble. If it is God who did this, then there is an opportunity in the future that He has planned that we cannot yet see (Prov. 3:5-, Jer. 29:11). If it is the evil one who is orchestrating this, then we need to get angry with him – for trying to hurt us and for using those in our lives to try to destroy us. To truly get back at him, celebrate those around us in their success. This way God wins!
Finally, we must be humble to those who try to purposely, even deviously take us out. This is the hardest type of humility by far. When we are waiting to be elevated, knowing that there is more to this life and then we encounter someone who is making this climb even so much harder. It Is our first instinct to try to do the same to them – take them out before they do us. We must remember that God is always faithful (Psalm 36:5) so we should trust that His plan will go forth regardless. It is our duty to not retaliate. Romans 12:17-19 says to never take revenge and never try to pay back evil with evil. We must live in honor and in peace. Let the Lord fight our battles. How bold do you say that is?
Being bold is not easy. There are many things on this journey that could trip us up, but there is one thing we all need to remember: “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” John 3:30.
Blessings.
This is a statue at my university, Dallas Baptist University. It captures Jesus washing a disciple’s feet.
Boldly Radiant 