Command 34: Be a Servant | Day 238

I scanned an area on the south side of Chicago until I saw what I was looking for—a group of about 25 teenagers near the river! It was a high-crime area, so when I approached them, they all stared at me and wondered what I wanted. I told them I wanted to draw a scenic chalk picture for them that would explain answers to life’s three big questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? and Where am I going? They all expressed interest in this.

As I drew the picture and interacted with the group, I tried hard to learn and remember their names. At first, when I asked for a person’s name, I was usually told a fictitious one and the group laughed. However, I paid close attention when someone called another person by his real name and began using it as well. Soon the entire group wanted to tell me not only their first names, but also their nicknames, which were a real challenge to remember! When I returned the following week, many of them surprised me by asking, “What is my name?” If I correctly remembered a name, I would receive a big smile, but when I was incorrect, there was disappointment.

There are four simple but effective key ways I’ve found to show another person that you are genuinely interested in his life and to earn opportunities to serve him.

1. Show a person’s importance by learning and using his name. This is one of the keys I learned while working with teenagers. A person’s own name is one of the most important words to him in any language.
2. Ask precise questions. Questions should show interest without being “nosey.” We can encourage people to talk about things they are interested in, such as asking a businessman: “How did you get started in your present work?”
3. Listen with your heart, not just your mind. When we receive responses to our questions, we should ponder them and find in them the basis for asking additional questions. The religious teachers in the Temple marveled at the wisdom of 12-year-old Jesus because of the questions that He asked and His answers. (See Luke 2:46–47.)
4. Discern needs and attitudes. When God allows us to discern the root problems a person is struggling with, we should then be prepared to provide precise answers to help him. There are four major areas of need that most people will experience at some point in their lives: marriage conflicts, teenage rebellion, financial pressures, and health problems. If we are able to share practical, lasting solutions in these four areas, we will have an ever-widening ministry.

In our journals this week, let’s write down the names of the people whom God wants us to serve and then list the ways in which we are serving or will begin to serve them. As we choose to follow Christ’s example by placing the needs of others ahead of our own needs, we will fulfill the purposes God has for our lives and achieve true greatness!

Through Christ our Lord,

Bill Gothard

“… Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant”

(Matthew 20:26–27).

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Patience is something I’ve had to continually ask God for help with. When irritations towards other people, things, and circumstances arise; patience is sometimes not an immediate response. One of the things I have also learned in this area is that usually when I¹m frustrated with someone, and impatient with that person, it generally comes back to that I¹m lacking patience with myself.

I have a very close relationship with my older sister, but as relationships between sisters usually go, we are very different. She is the type of person who can immediately jump into the middle of anything and flourish. I on the other hand, like to take a slower approach to things.

Processing everything, and taking it step by step before I can reach the same level of enjoyment or ability that she has right at the beginning.

Before we realized our differences, there was no end of frustrations between us. It would usually end with me feeling frustrated with myself, and thinking that I would never be able to do the things she was able to do so easily. When I came to the understanding of how God had made me different from her in this area and was able to accept it; I was then able to build on that, by learning how to have patience with myself and others.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience),

kindness, goodness, faithfulness…”Galatians 5:22

There is no argument that there are many kinds of false prophets in our day. Because they love to disguise themselves, they are sometimes difficult to discern. But one thing is sure,

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” (Matthew 7:16-17)

Have you ever thought about the type of fruit that results from watching movies? As we observe the fruit in our lives, whether good or evil, we might be surprised at how much we are actually influenced by them.

Why would I, as a kid, pretend my bike was a horse, the shed a jail, my hand a pistol, and the backyard a vast expanse of prairie? Was it not the desire to be like the heroes in those wild-west or frontiersmen films?

Did not my younger siblings and I climb all over the house and pretend to accomplish dangerous fetes in an attempt to reenact the accomplishments of mountain-climbers? This kind of fruit is not morally wrong; but it gives you an idea of how much a movie can impact actions.

But then there is the story that my dad tells of when he was a kid, jumping from a 12 foot building because he wanted to be like Superman. The fruit? Hilarious now, but distressing then, the result was a seriously sprained ankle.

I asked a young teenager one time what it was that motivated him to do so much exercise in hopes of being a weightlifter. More or less, the answer was because he wanted to be like so-and-so in this-and-that film who did such-and-such amazing things. Movies have the potential of changing an entire future.

As for myself, I won’t even attempt to count the number of times I’ve quoted some catchy phrase from a movie during a conversation for the sake of being funny. And how many times do I hum a tune or theme engrained in my head from a movie I’ve seen many times before–or even once!

What more needs to be said? Can I go as far as to say that movies have an impact on behavior like no other median of entertainment history has encountered? What movies are impacting us? What are we doing right now because of something we have watched in the past? I’m not saying movies are false prophets; a movie is no more a false prophet than a person is. The point in question is the message being proclaimed. What

fruit is growing, what actions carried out, what words being spoken, what tunes being hummed that have originated from the fact that we have simply seen a movie?

A friend of mine, who was telling me how he had recently decreased the amount of movies he watched, used the following criteria for discerning what movies to keep and which ones to toss out:

What commandments are being broken without consequence?

What violation of a commandment is being condoned?

Does it in any way deride the Trinity?

A few more criterions that have been helpful for me are:

What statements are being made in jest that would otherwise be inappropriate?

What personal convictions are not being upheld?

What standard of music is being condoned?

Is the message worth the time and emotion of watching the movie?

May we be encouraged to discern the false prophets of our day by considering the fruit that is evident in our thoughts, words, and actions!

“But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Mat 20:26

The call to be a servant is one of the greatest callings
given to mankind, but yet it is also one of the most difficult to accomplish. Christ’s ability to reach so many lives in the short amount of time He had, while holding no political or positional status in the world’s eyes was due to exercising this command.

I can’t help but think of the great impact Jesus had on all the people from the least to the greatest because He was willing to humble Himself and to help the most helpless.

Christ’s example of this command is the foundation of how every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ should live out their lives. I believe the key to fulfilling this call from Christ is by applying Psalm 51:1; “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, Oh God, thou wilt not despise.”

By humbling ourselves and by being willing to yield our spirit, soul and body to the Lord’s disposal, God will be able to use us as servants to fulfill His purpose and calling for our lives. We must never despise or forget this awesome opportunity to reveal the character of Christ through the life God has given us!

Matt. 5:47-48  And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

Here the word “perfect” is not calling us to be without fault but to be complete in how we live, be consistent or without hypocrisy. We are not to treat some people one way and other people another way; we are to treat every person the same. Giving a perfect greeting is something all of us can do in every situation. We are not to be excited only when we greet a good friend; we are to greet the clerk at the grocery store, the teller at the bank, and the young man who stops by our house selling something as though they are our dearest friends.

But we are not to just give perfect greetings to everyone we come in contact with; we are to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. God has 3 parts which are all perfect. Therefore, since we are made in the image of God (in 3 parts), we are to be perfect in all 3 parts: spirit, soul, and body.

As born-again Christians, Christ has already made us perfect in our spirit. Our spirit is complete;
there is nothing lacking.

However, there is a continuous battle in our soul. To make it perfect it must be “transformed by the renewing of your mind (intellect–must revert back to original position under the spirit), that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, (complete) will of God.” –Rom. 12:2

God’s will is exactly what we would choose if we knew all of the facts. Since we don’t know all of the facts, how do we learn and obey God’s will? It is only through the fellowship of our spirit with His Spirit that we learn God’s will. We don’t know all of the facts so we must take our mind off the throne (renew our mind) and yield to the Spirit’s promtings. Meditating on God’s Word is the process by which our mind is renewed. Through meditation, we move His Truth from our head to our heart. If we don’t meditate on the rhemas He gives us, we have gained knowledge but we do not receive the wisdom needed to properly apply it, and our intellect remains on the throne. One thing God has taught me in recent months is the importance of meditating on His Word not once or twice a day when I read the Bible, but all throughout each day. Since our minds are not always busy with work, there are many opportunities each day to do this. When we meditate on God’s Word throughout each day, He reveals to us ways to apply the insights He gives us to our lives.

Finally, be perfect in your body because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19).
And “the Lord is in His holy temple” –Hab. 2:20

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” –Rom. 12:1

The Old Testament temple was glorious, and God cared about every tiny detail of how the temple was built, furnished, and used. How much more does He care about how we do this with our bodies. We are to use our dress, words, and actions to present our bodies perfect in Christ. As the temple of the Holy Spirit, we should strive to present our bodies as worthy to host a holy God. In the same way, we are to interact with others whether they are long-time friends or people we have never met, no matter their outward appearance including dress, words, and actions.

“Therefore be perfect, even as your Father which is

in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48

It was near the end of my spelling test in elementary school. Once again I looked down at what I had written on my paper for word number seven: “O-N-O-R.” I read it back to myself quietly. It sounded right but something was missing, I was sure!

Time was running out. I closed my eyes tight and tried hard to remember what it should look like. All the correct sounds were there, so what was I missing? I took several frantic glances around the room for any spark of “inspiration,” but soon resorted back to silence and intense thought. Silence! That was it! I knew what was missing: a silent letter. I had skipped the very first part!

Without delay I added the letter and read it again: “HONOR.” Yes, that was it!

Honor is important (and not just for elementary test grades). Do you want to know how to please God? Find out what pleases the Lord. Find out with a relationship with Him. Obeying your parents pleases the Lord. Honoring your parents pleases the Lord (See Colossians 3:20). This “honoring” looks different during different seasons of your life—as a child, as a young adult, as a married man or woman. But the heart of this commandment remains intact throughout all our years.

The fifth commandment, “honor your mother and father,” is the first commandment with a promised attached, “so that you may live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3). We want to have a long life, for things to go well for us, to bring delight to the Lord, and to receive God’s grace. But have we skipped the first part?

“Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you” (I Peter 5:5–7).

My favorite song to sing with children is “this little light of mine!” If you have trusted Christ to be you Savior, God has commanded you to be a light. There are several ways that we are, or should be lights. First, is through our smile; by having and displaying a sincere smile we are showing that the joy of the Lord resides in us and is our strength.

The second way we are to demonstrate the light of Christ dwelling in us is in the light of our eyes. Matthew 6:22 says, “the light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” When Moses came down from being with God on the mountain, his face was glowing. May we all reflect form our faces what being with God really means.

Lastly, we are to show Christ’s light in us is by our good works. “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in Heaven” (Matt. 5:16). If we honor the Lord in the tasks He gives us to do, and other people see that we are doing it for Him, that action may plant a seed in someone else’s heart.

God has given me the desire to joyfully serve Him by serving others. Many times it is so easy to help people because I love doing it. They always are so thankful, but by serving them I am also able to show them how much I love the Lord. There is no greater thing than to be a beacon of light for the King of Kings!

(photo via Flickr)

Flexibility. Dependability. Sacrifice. Peace. Flexibility allows us to enjoy the fullness of our time, energy, space, and possessions being completely surrendered to God for His purposes.

While serving in the ATI Department, I’ve truly seen the rich quality of flexibility displayed by my officemates over and over again. Although we have a larger department than many others, valuable people are constantly being cross-trained in other areas, enabling them to use the talents that God has given them. Also, there are times for trips, conferences, seminars- things that are well worth the time being away. What this requires, however, is flexibility.

One time in particular I’m thinking of is such a clear reflection of this attribute. It happened very recently- a few days ago, actually. (As I write this, I am at home with my family, spending some time away before the rush of the busy conference season. Ironic, right?) Working in the office that day, my head simply swarmed with things to do, people to call, emails to write, etc. At the beginning of the day, it all seemed pretty feasible. The morning went well, and I was anticipating a good afternoon. Little did I know, the afternoon was going to bring much turmoil and stress for me.

The task list of things to do was not getting much shorter. All week, my roommate had been preparing for a gathering of girls to come over that night to celebrate the beginning of Spring. My ride home had just called to let me know that we would be leaving in a few hours. I was not packed. The floor needed to be vacuumed, I felt- at least people couldn’t see what needed to be done on the computer screen! I was swimming in my thoughts. Where would it end? Would I even be ready to leave? Could I entertain guests while trying to pack a suitcase?? Beyond that, was I ready to face the trial waiting for me at home?

Alas. The first demonstration of flexibility. In the midst of my tizzy, a dear friend told me that she would take care of things so I could take a short walk. Not my usual habit in middle of a work day, I did take a few moments to tell the Lord just what I was feeling. And to know that the office was taken care of while I was doing it was a good relief.

However, as not a whole lot changed between that time and the end of the day, I wasn’t sure exactly what to do. There would not be many people in the office next week. I would be gone, my boss would be gone… Just then, I heard a voice say, ‘What can I do? What do you need me to do next week while you’re gone?’

Not quite sure why I was doing it or how I could stand for it, I dumped a huge load, piece by piece on another’s desk, who willingly took it on. I saw her eager eyes wait for more: here, a person to call; there, a fax to send. There would be more than that too- a huge ATI mailing that needed to get out soon. Those holding down the fort would be taking this project.

I was able to share my burden with sisters in Christ who so readily demonstrated the quality of Flexibility. I was so blessed. The Lord really used that experience to teach me to trust Him, and He used the character in other people’s lives to show me a glimpse of His sovereignty. For this I am grateful.

“I want Justice!”

The word seems right and has entered all of our minds at some point in our life….but do we really understand what we are asking for?

The Hebrew root word for Justice, found in Strong’s Concordance (# 6663), means “right” or the state of being right. God himself is the only one that is “right”. This right refers to the righteousness that God has and is. His righteousness is expressed towards us though his son Jesus Christ. Justice is utterly dependent upon righteousness. Out this state of being supremely righteous, God alone has the authority to make final judgments and he will exercise this right upon Judgment day.

Justice is a continual process and is carried out when we make decisions based on God’s Judgments. God’s judgments, simply stated, are His definition of what is “good” or “bad”. Justice, by its nature, will always be in accordance with the Character and Laws of God (I Kings 3:9).

Justice when applied to our lives brings order and peace. These are necessary for the survival of our very being. When it is not part of our daily existence we experience stress between our spirit and soul resulting in illness and disease.

The purpose for Justice is found in two of its basic meanings; to rectify and to prosper. God’s justice is for the purpose of bringing that which is wrong (sin) in man back to what is right, ultimately to restore man’s fellowship with his creator.

The depths of God’s mercy and love will never be experienced to its fullest until we understand Justice.

(photo via flickr)