Service

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, "You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."  Mark 10:42-45

I struggle with being a servant.  It’s not that I don’t like doing for others – I really enjoy it, actually.  But, I don’t easily come up with ways to serve.  If it falls within my natural inclinations or just happens to be obvious in the normal flow of my day, I jump right in.  But, to go out of my way to be a servant…well, let’s just say that much of the time I’m oblivious and it doesn’t even cross my mind unless someone brings it to my attention.

Sometimes I wonder if that’s where the disciples were.  Sometimes I wonder if, even though they were around Jesus daily, they just didn’t see things – they didn’t have the spiritual focus they would have later when the Holy Spirit descended upon them. 

The thing is, I have the Holy Spirit dwelling within me.  But, somehow I still choke out the awareness of needs around me unless they just slap me in the face.  And that is what I am challenged to change.  The open eyes.  The sensitivity.  The awareness of needs around me.  The Lord is reminding me once again that my mind is not focused on Him on a regular basis but is instead distracted by my days.  No wonder I don’t see and meet needs around me unless they just jump in my path! 

So, I am challenged on multiple levels.  First to restore my mental sensitivity, having my mind set on Him, putting Phil 4:7 into practice.  Then to take that sensitivity and put in into practice, being a servant regularly, even when it doesn’t just fall into the normal path of my day.  

Persistent Faith

Mark 10:46-52 tells the familiar story of Blind Bartimaeus, the blind beggar on the road to Jericho who will not stop yelling until he is heard – and healed – by Jesus.

I realized something as I reread Bartimaeus’ story this morning – I have nowhere near the faith he had. 

There are times I feel ignored by Jesus as well.  It’s as if He’s just walking right along, ministering to people all around me.  I feel as if I’m the outcast on the side of the road.  The humbling thing about it, though, is that no one is telling me to hush.  Instead they are encouraging me. 

“Keep praying.  Keep crying out.  He is faithful!  He will hear you and He will act in His perfect timing.” 

Bartimaeus was being told to be quite and leave Jesus alone, but he persisted, getting louder and louder.  He didn’t complain.  He didn’t petition anyone else and ask them to seek Jesus for Him.  He pleaded with Jesus alone and let no one distract him from that course.

I, on the other hand, will pray for a while.  Then when nothing happens I’ll start griping.  I’ll share my woes and ask other people to pray for me.  There’s nothing wrong with the prayer support, mind you, but there is something wrong with my attitude.  I spend more time complaining and mulling over my situation than I do crying out to Jesus for His mercy.

I am challenged to have the faith of Bartimaeus.  My Savior will not walk right by me without completing His work.  Will I believe that?

Honor of Honesty

It is an honor to receive an honest reply. Prov 24:26 (NLT)

As I was reading and commenting on Proverbs 24 today, this verse really stood out to me. 

Do I really consider it an honor to receive an honest reply? 

Think about this with me.  If I ask someone how they’re doing, how often do I want to take the time to really hear the answer?  If I ask someone a question about myself, am I really ready to receive the answer?  If I share something I’ve learned, do I really want someone else to come in and show me that I still have much to learn?

If we are completely honest with ourselves, we don’t really want honest replies from other people.  They are frustrating, annoying, and aggravating more often than not.

So, why would it be considered an honor to receive an honest reply?  Because it signifies trust.  If someone feels confident that they can give me an honest reply, then they trust me to handle their reply well.

They trust me to be a listener when they need to share how they’re really doing.

They trust me to accept constructive criticism.

They trust me to be willing to grow and learn and to not live as if I have the only answers.

And so, I am challenged to truly be honored by honest replies.