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Service With a Smile

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Speed dialIn Colossians 4:17, Paul sends a message to a young man, Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." That's a tremendous charge, worth a closer look.

Take heed- From the Greek, it means voluntarily giving careful attention to. Paul's tone is one of encouragement.

Ministry- This is the word deacon comes from and carries an idea of waiting tables. We tend to think "ministry" is only for preachers or other big-shot Christians, but any of us can serve others and attend to their needs.

Received- This one means to "to take near". On a recent trip to a theme park, I received some money for one of the kids. (His parents were afraid he might lose it.) I kept it close to me in a pocket, protecting it, acting as a steward for the money, parceling it out as the boy had need of it.

Fulfill- This is an interesting word and several of the usages carry the idea of filling in what's empty, whether it's a hole or a net or an empty house. Don't leave anything out or undone.

To paraphrase- When you accepted Christ, you agreed to serve Him as needed. Don't you see what a tremendous role you've been entrusted with? Run with it!

Sometimes, in our way of thinking, being a servant is not such a great draw. But if someone we love asks for a favor, we deliver without hesitation. Maybe that was the issue for Archippus. We know from the letter to Philemon, that he was the son of a comfortably wealthy man. Maybe the transition from having servants to being a servant was a little difficult.

Paul said back in chapter 3: "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." Ultimately, all our service is to Christ, not the individuals who receive the immediate benefits.

What is your ministry? Are you fulfilling it? 

 

 

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In and Out, Past, Present and Future

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Single tree

In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul instructs us "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him…"

We received Jesus Christ in the past.

We walk in Him in the present and continue to do so in the future.

We are deeply rooted in Him, internally, including our thoughts and feelings, so that they honor Christ.

We are built up in Him so that our visible, external actions reflect Jesus Christ.

Every facet of our being, and our very existence is a testimony to our Lord.

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Asking for Wisdom

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Empty pocketsThis week in VBS, our theme verse has come from James 1:5 – If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. The Message renders it, "If you don't know what you're doing…"

Let's condense it for just a moment- If you lack wisdom, ask God and it will be given to [you]. That's will. A promise. God doesn't want us wandering through life, so He makes a guaranteed offer to help us out.

Now that part we condensed out is just as amazing. This wisdom is available to anybody who asks for it. Not just leaders. Not just super-Christians. God gives it to everyone. And that's "gives" not "gave". The offer is still open. God gives that wisdom generously (the way He gives everything!). He doesn't parcel out a piece of wisdom here and there and make us figure out the details ourselves. Finally, He doesn't criticize or rebuke us for asking. There's no "how dare you?", no "how could you NOT know the answer to that one!" He encourages us to freely ask.

This blanket offer hinges on wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge. God is not promising to answer every question we come up with. He's promising to give us direction and help us move forward. So like The Message says, "If you don't know what you're doing" in that relationship, in that vocation, in that ministry, in that… whatever, ask God

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STT: Memorize

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String reminderBelieve it or not, a key component to your Bible study is memorization. I know, we think memory verses are for kids, and we have way too much to remember NOW. Adding Bible verses will cause a total system shutdown.

What if it was easy?

Foolproof?

Would you be willing to give it a try?

Kay Arthur has the easiest method of memorization I've ever run across. All you have to do is read. She says read the Scripture three times, out loud, in the morning, at midday and before bed. Just read. Look at it the whole time. Don't worry about trying to remember it. In seven days, the verse will be locked in your memory.

Try it for yourself and let me know how it works for you.

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Success in Perspective

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Caution TapeI am a nerd. I admit it. I enjoy reading Chronicles. If you don't get hung up on the names, there are some interesting stories. With Chronicles, you also get commentary about the individuals, sometimes including their motives. Chapter 26 tells of King Uzziah. I suppose he's most famous for dying. (You know, Isaiah 6:1… 'In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, sitting on a throne, high and lifted up…")

He became king at 16 and reigned for 52 years. That's a tremendous burden, being responsible for a nation of God's people, surrounded on every side by enemies, especially for a teenager. There was a prophet named Zechariah- not THAT Zechariah- and Uzziah depended on the prophet's counsel. Verse 5 says 'as long as [Uzziah] sought the Lord, God made him prosper'.

However, verse 16 says, "But when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction…" After a string of successes, he decided he could set his own agenda. The rest of the chapter tells how he went into the temple with the intent of burning the incense. That was a job for the descendants of Aaron and them alone. For his presumption, he was immediately struck with leprosy and lived out the rest of his days in exile in his own house.

That's where the story hits home – There have been times when I've presumed to do things my way, and expected Him to bless my efforts. He'd blessed me before with success. To me, that indicated I knew what I was doing. I was wrong. We will never get to the place where we can operate on our own. It is only when we seek the Lord that success comes. And in truly seeking God, success is no longer the goal, but a footnote. 

 

[This is a repost- VBS & football camp this week- things are crazy. Thanks for understanding.]

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