Tag Archives: Service

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Poor Offerings

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A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.  Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”  Mark 12:42-44

In an attempt to get more familiar with our new surroundings, Marie and I ventured out to a diner that we hadn’t tried yet.  As we walked in, I noticed a young man serving as a busboy.  It only took a fraction of a second to recognize that he was both physically and mentally challenged.   Some might conclude that he had little to offer, yet here he was providing a service for the restaurant and its patrons.  During our meal, I also observed that despite his challenges, he appeared to communicate a kind heart as he interacted with a few of the customers as they came in or left.  Whether it is due to self-perception, physical handicap, chronic illness, or some other limitation or trial, many of us often feel as though we have little value and little to offer because our resources are lacking in some form or fashion.  As the passage above indicates, God is more concerned about what we do with our resources rather than how grand they are.  In that regard, consider how expectations, assumptions, and actions relate to our offerings to God and man.  

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Help – The Gift of Service

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Picture of Christ Helping Peter's Family

When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.  Matthew 8:14-15

This week celebrates the 93rd anniversary of my mother’s birth; the 98th anniversary of my father’s birth; and the the 73rd anniversary of their marriage.  Yes, they packed it all neatly into one week…with Mother’s Day thrown in for good measure regularly.  As I take time to remember them and what they meant to me, I am grateful for them and thankful that they pointed me to Christ from the time I was born.  Further, I am grateful for what they taught me through example.  A significant gift that they each exhibited regularly was their servant’s heart which caused them to be helpful and compassionate in a variety of circumstances.  It is a desire that was passed on to me.  As I prepare to make a lengthy drive to visit and help my mother-in-law, I am reminded of the honor and privilege it that it was to help my parents and my father-in-law at the end of their lives.  Now I have the opportunity to assist Ma as well.  When we help others whether through acts of service, encouragement, teaching or some other form, it is a blessing to both parties. 

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The Encounter

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Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.”  Hebrews 11:1-2

Over the course of my life, I’ve encountered a wide variety of individuals.  Most of these events are buried in the recesses of my mind as they had little noticeable impact.  The encounters that I do remember are the ones that were: repetitive, damaging, unexpected, uplifting, or loving as they left a significant mark on my life.  At the top of the list of memorable encounters are my encounters with God.  Encounters with the Lord come in a wide variety and are perfectly tailored to the people involved as well as the need.  They may be direct encounters as Noah, Abraham or Moses experienced; through His messengers as was the case with Mary and Joseph; through a grand event as Paul’s conversion or the more subtle work of the Holy Spirit.  No matter what form our encounter takes, we can be certain of one thing: we will never be the same afterward for we will either trust the character of God and draw closer to Him or we will reject Him in disbelief and pull away.

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Small Things

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Picture of Ore Lake and Brennan Manning Prayer

For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward.   Mark 9:41

Our family spent the weekend with my aunt and uncle at their lake house.  Saturday morning our older daughter asked if I would go running with her so I agreed.  I can usually run a short distance without much problem, however, this time it seemed as if everything was against me.  In the end it was a couple of miles of pure frustration.  It left me unsettled with a few questions: is this an anomaly, will I no longer be able to enjoy a good run, or is this something that I will recover from?  Further is it may be yet another loss that I must accept and another limitation to undermine how I feel about myself?  In any event, I kept moving one small step at a time…sometimes running, but mostly walking.  In the end it became an object lesson about living well and led to a conversation with God about life and faith.

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Pride and Humility Part 2

Humility Extolled

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"Only the poor in spirit can be humble. How often the experience, growth, and progress of a Christian become such precious matters to him that he loses his lowliness." Watchman Nee

O Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth will no longer cause terror.  Psalm 10:17-18

As I stated in the last post (Pride and Humility Part 1 –  Pride Renounced), we live in a culture that promotes autonomy, independence and self-assuredness.  When controlled, these characteristics are useful tools in life.  However, left unchecked, they will likely lead to pride.  Prideful arrogance impedes a relationship with God, inhibits relationships with others, multiplies guilt, brings dishonor and insures judgement.   Alternatively, humility is often despised by our culture because it appears to be the weaker trait.  However, it is desired by God because it yields rewards in both this life and the one to come.  Following are a few of the benefits.

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Mighty vs. Might

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“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.  And He saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins.  And He said, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.’”  Luke 21:1-4

In the wake of Billy Graham’s departure from this world, the atmosphere seems a tad darker.  He was truly a mighty man of God who was used to reach all levels of society around the globe.  Not only did he touch the lives of many great and influential people not the least of which were several US presidents, but he also touched the lives of the humble such as my grandmother who accepted Christ sitting in her apartment watching one of his crusades on her television.  In that light, take a look at the picture described in Luke 21.  A poor woman who has next to nothing is noticed by the Lord of all that exists.  He doesn’t look down on her as someone who is insignificant.  Quite the opposite, He recognizes that her small offering or her “mite” is a mighty act of faith as she is giving all that she has; He acknowledges that she has contributed more than those who have given much larger offerings out of their surplus.  When I consider the opportunities, wealth, talents or spiritual gifts of the mighty and those with no more than a mite, three points come to mind: jealousy, attitude and value.

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Carpe Diem

Seizing the day

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Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  Ephesians 5:15-16

Today has been a rough day.  My symptoms have been flaring and I have found it difficult to keep moving and be productive.   Fatigue and lack of focus are making it rough to think and to write let alone maintain a healthy attitude.  That’s often the case for those of us struggling with illness.  Whether it’s dealing with our infirmities in general or the various symptoms that present themselves, days are regularly difficult and require much effort to endure.  Many trials offer similar effects.  It may be grief, caring for a dying loved one, attempting to redirect a rebellious child or any of the other life traumas that completely overwhelm us, but whatever “it” is, we are easily shut down and find it difficult to manage the affairs of the day let alone be industrious or thrive. 

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Faithful Service

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As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

We are a soccer family.  My wife was a soccer manager in college; our daughters started playing in elementary school and continue to play, our younger daughter met her husband through soccer; and our grandsons have recently started playing.  Christine and Corey love to play defense on the soccer field.  Their motto is: “forwards win games; defensive players win championships”.   The point is that the players in the background preventing the other team from scoring are as important as those scoring the goals.  It takes the whole team…not just the ones in the limelight.  It’s like that in the church body as well.

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The Art of Sacrifice

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“But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.  For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,  who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”   1 Peter 2:20-25

This past weekend I served at a Christian event.  I knew that I would need to give up some of the normal comforts of life, that I would need to push my body beyond what I would consider a wise pace for my health concerns and  that my diet would also be compromised.  However, I was not prepared for what I would consider unnecessary risks for myself and others due to disregard and lack of effort.  I’m not talking about malicious acts by evil people, but rather inadvertent decisions and actions by genuine godly people whom I have come to appreciate over the last few days.  The perceived lack of safety put me in a mode of questioning my decision to serve, counting down the hours until I could leave and started a running discussion in my head regarding what is “reasonable sacrifice”.  Thankfully, God quickly took me to the example of Christ which caused my issues to pale in comparison and allowed me to serve to the best of my ability and develop new friendships.

With respect to sacrifice, consider the following elements: preparation, opportunity, people, sacrifice, and reward.

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Bond-Servant of God

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“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 find it interesting that Philippians, Titus, James, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation all begin with a description of the writer as a bond-servant of God.  Culturally, the concept of servitude is undesirable.  We are told that independence, self-service and personal comfort should rule our perspective.  Yet this is not God’s design for civilization.

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