Devotional Time with God

In Mark 9:33-35, Jesus was asked who, among the disciples, were the greatest. His answer was simply whoever is last and servant of all, is the best.

It’s quintessential Jesus. I have a pride to want to be the best in everything. I want to be recognized as someone who leads the way. I want to be first in line.  But Jesus is always humble. He never wanted to be famous. He only wanted to serve humanity. He only wants us to serve each other.

God’s promise is to make me better if I serve others and be humble.

I can’t be better in God’s eye if I only serve myself. I have to change my attitude and be humble, and serve others.  It’s also His command, indirectly.  It is also Jesus’ great example, as He’s the one who’s willing to sacrifice himself to save humanity.

I pray that God gives me strength to be able to resist the temptation of pride. The temptation to be above everyone else and not be sympathetic to others. I pray that God gives me an overwhelming love so I may see others without contempt.

I am thankful God is with me. I am thankful for Jesus.  I am last, so Jesus can be first in my life.

I’ve been sworn to be a jury.  It’s my honor to serve as one: for the community – for the country.  I’m relieved the courts still swore us in  using the word “So help me God” at the end of the oath to tell the truth.

For indeed the truth shall set me free (John 8:32). It shall set all of us free!  If only everyone would tell the truth, we wouldn’t need lawyers, court systems, lawsuits, and the constant bickering who does what with whom at where and when.  We wouldn’t need to scrutinize every little details.

If only everyone would tell the truth and follow God’s commandments (Romans 13:9).  We’ll all be safe.

When I’m on the jury box, whenever I can, I prayed for the witness, victim, defendant, judge, my fellow jurors, and even the lawyers, that they open their heart and tell the truth.  Because I know the truth will eventually come out and justice will be served. So help us God!

I did wonder, why on earth am I here for?  Why does God create me and let me suffer through the pain in this world?  Why do I have to deal with all of the rude, back-stabbing, inconsiderate, unfriendly, or downright nasty people?

The answer is simple: God wants me to win them for Him!  By leading a Jesus-centric life and modeling His love, I’m to be of service to my fellow man/woman.  No matter who they are!

I need to fulfill my purpose in life by serving others. (Ephesians 4:4 -14; Romans 1:6-7; Romans 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Corinthians 1:9;  1 Corinthians 1:26; 1 Corinthians 7:17; Philippians 3:14; 1 Peter 2:9; 2 Peter 1:3)

The fruit of salvation is serving God, by serving others!

There are many motivations when it comes to “serve” someone.  There’s the obvious one: money – straight up give me dollar bills for the value I gave you.  There’s to impress another person/people – I want to be known and famous.

And then there’s serving because of genuine love.

The bible says:

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

Romans 12:9

The sincerity of love will bring out the need to serve others.  That’s what God wired us to do.  That’s my purpose.  As a father, I’m here to serve the needs of my wife and kid.  In my small group, I’m here to serve my fellow Christians.  In my community, I’m here to help my neighbors.  In this world, I’m here to be a good citizen.

I must serve another with LOVE!

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

This verse struck me as simple, yet a powerful reminder on how to tell if wisdom is from God:

… the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

James 3:13-17

Good and worthy qualities.  One thing that scares me is being “submissive”.  My first impression it’s out of place in the verse.  But thinking about it, being submissive is to serve someone.  It’s an action to help others.

I can only imagine submissive court judges with heavenly wisdom rule on a side of the people, not the politics of the government, nor the agenda of partisan group.

I can only imagine submissive teachers who guides children with humility, without resorting to pride, nor being politically correct all the time.

I can only imagine submissive politicians and world leaders, who has the people’s well-being in mind.  Not wanting to fill up their own pockets, nor making policies that are convenient for their own purpose.

I can only imagine a submissive me… listen and follow God’s command, where He will lead me to work it out with others, share the gospel, and save lives.

Everyday I go to work, I ask myself what can I do to help others? But I have a confession to make. I also tell myself that I will get a reward for it, such as my salary, or recognition from my peers and manager. What I seem to quite often take for granted is that I am doing this for God. It’s not enough that I give my time and resources to help others, but I also have to give myself. I have to be available, and I have to have a willing heart. The bible says in Philippians 2:14-16,

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

I don’t sacrifice myself for others, for nothing. I do it for God. I don’t stop on a work day either, it has to be every day. Even during my rest day, as Jesus did when He healed during sabbath.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for giving yourself up on the cross for me. I thank you for the saving my life, so I may save others. Please give me the strength and discernment to serve others without complaining or expecting earthly rewards. I am weak and you are strong. Please accept my sacrifice. Amen.

Am I limiting God’s power in my life by trying to hide my weaknesses? What do I need to be honest about in order to help others?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 278

When I hide my weakness, it’s a sign of pride. I have a lot of pride. That is my worse weakness. I pride myself in my work, my ingenuity, and my so-called results. Many times, I forget my accomplishments are from God and He’s given me the ability to do well.  At times, I had seen God put someone or something in my life that grounds me – brought me back to the realization I couldn’t do everything by myself. I must rely on God on everything, even the things that I’m capable of.

I have to be honest that I have flaws. I get emotional too fast. I have failed relationships that only a few know of. Sometimes I forget to seek God’s help. Sometimes I let the world’s circumstances make my life’s decisions. I can’t continue to let those happen to me. I must know God wants to use my weakness to serve others and keep me humble. My weakness is worth God’s grace.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Am I usually more concerned about being served or finding ways to serve others?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 271

Amazingly, at this point in my life, I’m more concerned about finding ways to serve others. Being a husband and a father, I truly want to serve my wife and daughter, because I love them so much. I love other Christians too and I want to serve them as much as I can. As I previously blogged, I struggle with making myself available for serving. I’m glad to say that at least my thinking is in the right place. I’m just having a tough time deploying my attitude of servitude. I must continue to focus on Jesus so I won’t lose this attitude, as written in Philippians 2:5 (NIV)

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

In a current event, my servant heart is being tested. At work I was basically told I was not doing my job properly. I was accused of being sloppy. I sought advice from my colleagues and they confirmed my thinking that my manager was a little harsh on me. My manager’s evidences were arguably sketchy. My manager could be reacting from assumptions and doubt. My natural instincts were to defend myself, by explaining what happened and pointing to the lack of evidence. But after reading this chapter, I realize that I must be a steward, not an owner. I must serve, not pretend I own the project and do whatever I please. I must put the priority of others before mine. I must put other’s expectations before mine. Looking at it from a servant attitude, with humility and truth, I can see clearly what needs to be said and done. In this case, I must remember to put other’s needs ahead of me and set parameters to be successful.

Which of the six characteristics of real servants offers the greatest challenge to me?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 264

The characteristics list is:

1. Availability
2. Attention to Needs
3. Do the best of their abilities
4. Equal dedication
5. Faithful to their ministries
6. Low profile

Currently my biggest challenge is making myself available. Perhaps I’m keeping myself too busy at work and home. Or perhaps I’m always waiting for an opportunity to arise. That’s actually my 2nd challenge, not being sensitive enough to figure out the needs of others. I’m always focused on the needs of someone higher up than me (and I don’t mean God). I should continue to look around and be aware of the needs of other believers, my peers, neighbours, and even strangers! The bible says in Galatians 3:10 (NIV):

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

As the need arises, I must take the opportunity to help. My struggle is when it’s inconvenient, it’s going to stop me from serving.  Saddleback Church is 21 miles from my house and $10 toll fees (both ways).  I’ve chosen this church because of its great leaders and wonderful teaching. Now I realize “sacrifices” has to be made to make myself available to serve. I know God will use me to serve Him and I will be available when He calls.

Lord, please give me the ears to listen to your calling, and the heart to serve you with all of my mind and strength. Amen.

In what way can I see myself passionately serving others and loving it?

The Purpose Driven Life, p. 240

I love when I see others succeed, or accomplish their goals. When I can help, that is especially rewarding, because I have the chance to serve. Sometimes it’s no wonder I am always in a technical support role. My job has been described as a “Thankless Job” or a “Slave to the System”. If I love this job, all the thanks that I ever need is from God. When God uses me because I’ve been gifted by Him and I whole-heartedly like it, I am shaped to serve God.

A rather contextually appropriate verse comes from Ephesians 6:5-8 (NLT):

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.