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Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
There seems to have been an ongoing battle among Jesus’ disciples to establish a pecking order. The comparison game ran rampant. Some would argue their case based on the order in which Christ ‘chose’ them. After all, wouldn’t he pick them the way we choose teams on the playground? The most talented would surely be chosen first, and disciple number 12? Well, you know that story!
I would imagine that the fisherman in the group argued their case for supremacy based on the consistency and size of their catch. Matthew and Judas based their level of importance based on their knowledge of finances and the Roman government, The others all staked their claim to greatness on other personality traits or passion to follow Christ.
We still play the comparison game in our churches and Christian circles. We’ve become more refined, of course. Past sins, divorce and other relational issues, length of time with the master and denominational affiliation will either disqualify you, or make you more qualified, depending on your point of view.
Fact of the matter is, Jesus sets the standard for greatness pretty low. Children, livestock, women and servants were all in the same category in Jesus day. They carried no value in and of themselves. Women were valuable of course if they produced male offspring. Livestock were valuable if there were no blemishes because they were the monetary standard of the day. Children had some value because they would eventually grow up to be heirs (boys) or a way to raise yourself to a higher social level (good looking women).
Servants? Truth be told there really wasn’t a value placed on a servant. The bad ones were sold or killed or given the dirtiest jobs. The good ones were elevated until, of course, they proved themselves inadequate. There was no glamour in being a servant. Wasn’t in Jesus day, still isn’t.
Servants had no choices in life. Their sole purpose in life was to make other people happy and comfortable. Good masters may show some gratitude (to the good servants) but it certainly wasn’t necessary, or the norm. Servants generally received no praise. They were just doing their job after all. There was no Servants Union. No one to advocate for servant rights. No United Servant Code of Ethics.
Still, Jesus calls each of us to be servants in order to show His greatness to the nations. One more thing about being a servant, and this is a hard one to swallow. Being a ‘servant’ to people who we like and who are kind to us? That’s not being a servant. Servant-hood is not based on like-ability. The crabby boss? The obnoxious customer? The angry spouse? Yep. We’re called to serve them.
As Christ-followers, our question is not ‘Should I serve that person’ but, ‘How does God want me to serve that person wisely.’
PRAYER: Dear Jesus. You showed us the ultimate example of how to be a servant by reaching out to the unlovely, allowing yourself to be the object of scorn and ridicule and ultimately dying for me when I didn’t deserve it. I know your command is the same today as it was when you walked with your disciples. It’s hard being a servant in an evil world but I know that is Your desire. Empower me with Your Spirit to be the loving and wise servant You want me to be. Keep me from playing the comparison game. I’m not better or no worse than anyone else when I walk with you. Thank you for being my servant. Help me to serve others in the same way. Amen.
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Ephesians 5:15-17
There’s an old song I remember singing in Sunday School that went something like this:
O be careful little eyes what you see
O be careful little eyes what you see
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see
The song went on to remind us to be careful about the things we hear with our ears, do with our hands, say with our mouths and go with our feet. It is important to remember that the God of the universe, the King of Kings and Lord or Lords is with us wherever we go. He hears what we say, sees what we do and goes where we go.
One would think that the fact that our Heavenly Father is with us 24/7 would keep us from doing things that displease Him, but it doesn’t. We still say things that are hurtful. We still use God’s name in vain, and look at things we shouldn’t look at. We still hurt people physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sometimes the hurt we place on people is unintentional. Sometimes it’s well thought out and brutal. Either way it not only hurts the other person, it hurts our Heavenly Father, who continues to love us in spite of our reckless behavior.
As you travel along the path of life remember that not only is Your Father watching what you do, other people watch you as well. Your words and actions, the places you go and the things you do are all a reflection of what God is like. Just as the moon is a reflection of the light of the sun, each of us should strive to be a reflection of God to others.
The bad news is, we’re all human. We all fall far short of the ability to reflect Christ’s love 24/7 to those around us, especially those around us who are hurtful, angry, judgmental and vindictive.
The good news is that our Father in Heaven knows we can’t possibly be a perfect reflection of Christ to others. He loves us anyway, even when we are being poor reflections! He’s willing and able to forgive us no matter how many times we fail Him…and others. He is the God of second and third and fourth chances.
When you fail [and you will!] remember that you can come to your Heavenly Father and be forgiven. When others fail you, don’t allow their attacks to affect how you feel about yourself. God and God alone is your judge and He’s a fair, loving and merciful judge who not only knows your weakness but is willing to help you through the struggle.
PRAYER: Father God. Every day I get out of bed with the determination to be a perfect reflection of your love and mercy. Every day I fail in what I say, listen to, or do. I get hurt by those I love the most and retaliate to those who hurt me. Please help me to live in the wisdom that comes from you so that I can be a perfect reflection of your love. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:7
We went to a candy shop once to get salt-water taffy. There’s was the best! It was one of those old-time candy shops where the salt-water taffy was in baskets. You could take a small container and choose the kind and amount of each flavor.
I enjoyed watching the little children being given a container and permission to choose. Some were very meticulous, choosing each piece carefully. Some would plunge their hands deep into the basket and try to get as much as possible into their tiny hands so that they could fill their basket with their favorite flavor. Try as they might, they couldn’t get the whole basket in their hands at once, but that didn’t stop them from trying.
Grace is like that large container of our favorite taffy. Each individual piece of taffy represents the times we fail Jesus. It may be a word spoken that never should have been heard. It may be a decision which ended up hurting your stand for Christ and/or those around you. It could be the inability for you to forgive someone who has hurt you deeply.
Time after time we go to the basket of grace. Because of our sin we reach deeply into the basket and pull out as much as we can. But the supply never lessens and there is never a lack. God’s grace is given to us according to Christ’s desire to give. We can never use it up. We can never deplete the supply. He chooses to give us an unlimited supply of grace to get us through the tough times of life, to heal the wounds of our soul, to sweeten our lives with forgiveness.
What are you struggling with today? Is it fear of the future? Reach deep into the basket of grace. Pull out all the promises of God’s constant presence and protection. Do you struggle with an addiction or shameful habit? Plunge you hand deep into the basket of God’s grace and fill your fingers with God’s forgiveness and power to conquer the frustration of not being able to life in victory. Are you suffering the scars of a life battered by abuse and anger? Dig down deep into the promises that Jesus’ desire is to heal you of those bruises. Taste the sweetness of a life no longer affected by the past.
God doesn’t give us grace according to our need; He gives it according to His vast, endless supply through Jesus Christ.
Go ahead. Walk into the candy shop of God’s grace. Take your fill. Enjoy the sweetness of God’s provision for your soul. You’ll never find Him lacking. You’ll never be alone.
PRAYER: Father God, No one knows the pain I harbor deep in my soul except you. No one understands the pain I struggle with on a daily basis. Pain due to fear, anger, my past, shame and guilt haunts me daily. Forgive me for my failings. Help me to taste the sweetness of your Grace. Empower me through Your Spirit to conquer the things in my life that keep me from relationship with you. Thank you for Your unending supply of Grace through Jesus Christ. Amen.
You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. Psalm 139:1-2
With the popularity of the internet and various networking sites, like FaceBook and Twitter, the concept of ‘knowing someone’ has become somewhat clouded. We can ‘know’ someone from other countries who we have never met anywhere but in cyberspace.
In Psalm 139, King David makes the statement “You know me” concerning God. The knowledge God has of us is so much more intimate than we can imagine. I can choose what information I let you know about me. I can tone down the bad stuff about me and put a nice coat of frosting on the good stuff to make it even better.
I can choose to hide the things I don’t want you to know, those hidden thoughts, dreams and fantasies or those opinions of you (and others) that contradict the smile on my face. I can try to hide the pain, shame and embarrassment of how I really feel about me as well. In fact, most times, people we see as happy-go-lucky and conceited are really insecure and looking for something good to grasp onto about themselves.
God knows me. Think on that for a minute. The Creator/Sustainer of the universe, not just my world, not just the galaxy we live in, THE universe, knows me. He and He alone, sees clearly behind the mask we use to show people the person we’d like to be. The walls we build to protect ourselves and keep others at a distance do nothing to keep Him from entering in and looking around.
Every thought, every emotion, every hurt and pain, every time you’ve been emotionally or physically abused has been seen by Him and He feels your pain. He hears your unspoken prayers, sees your unseen tears and walks with you through the fearful times when everyone else thinks you are strong.
Remember one more thing. King David was not a pleasant person. He was a murderer. He slept with a married woman and got her pregnant. He ignored the time one of his sons raped one of his daughters. He lied. He cheated. Yet in all this God calls Him a man after His own heart. God saw through all David’s weaknesses and failures and loved him anyway. He does the same for you.
PRAYER: Once again I am in awe of Your love O God my Father. There is no hiding with you. You know my deepest longings and pain. You cry with me and celebrate with me. I praise you for who you are and ask that you would help me, as I go through my day, to sense Your love and presence during the dark times of my life. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom. Song of Solomon 2:15
Preventative maintenance is important in many areas of our lives. A simple oil change can keep your car running better and longer. A few minutes of exercise everyday can keep your body healthier, your mind sharper and give you more energy for the day.
The same is true in our relationships with our spouses/significant other, our children, our families, our jobs or any other relationship we may be a part of. It’s the little things we do that keep a relationship healthy and growing. In order for relationships to be healthy they need to continue to grow. Stagnant relationships are dying relationships.
In Old Testament Palestine, vineyards were a huge part of the economy. One of the ‘predators’ for the vineyard was the fox. Small foxes would enter the vineyard at night and destroy the vines, eat the grapes and blossoms and dig up the roots. The owner of the vineyard spent much time and money to protect his vineyard from these little, but deadly enemies.
Healthy relationships are relationships where all parties involved work together to keep the little things from entering our ‘vineyard’ to damage or kill it. Most relationships don’t end like a train wreck. Train wrecks are sudden, unexpected and deadly. Relationships usually die a slow death from the inside out, like cancer, and usually happen when one or both parties involved fail to take preventative action.
The ‘little foxes’ of relationship can be something as simple as making sure you say thank you, or being brave enough to say ‘I’m sorry’ even if you aren’t totally at fault. The ‘little fox’ of sarcasm can attack the very roots of the relationship. Sarcasm is the lowest form of ‘humor’ and one of the deadliest relationship killers. Unresolved anger, guilt and emotional or physical abuse may seem like big issues in a relationship, and indeed they are. However they aren’t the main issue, they are the result of the work of little foxes.
The best protection for the vineyard of our relationships is a firm, unified relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion and going to church won’t protect your relationship any more than a sign at the entrance of the vineyard will ward off the foxes. Relationship with Jesus is much more than religion and warming the pew of some church.
Simple things like saying ‘I love you’ or, ‘I’m proud of you’, or ‘I like how you do that’ are little things that can add huge walls against the foxes of our lives. Studying the Bible together, making sure that there are no unresolved conflicts in your lives, being willing to forgive and be honest with each other and encouraging each other to use thief gifts are all ways to strengthen the bond of your relationships.
Vineyards were the life blood of the Old Testament economy just as relationships are the lifeblood in this journey we call life. Work as hard as you can to make sure the little foxes don’t enter and destroy.
PRAYER: Father, I admit to you that I’m not good at relationship. My past is full of so many foxes that I’ve never learned how to do relationship well. I’m tired of feeling like I’m the only one doing the work of relationship building. The pain of rejection and abuse keeps me back from trying anymore. Help me to build a relationship with You first so that I can build or rebuild relationships with those I love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 