Category: Christian Living

Friendship.

Do you remember the story of Job? The Bible tells us that Job was a righteous man whom God had greatly blessed. Job had health, wealth, family, and the respect of his peers. Then, without warning or explanation, everything he held dear was taken from him. His wealth was plundered/destroyed, his children were killed, and he became horribly ill, his skin covered in boils. Ugh!

Enter Job’s friends. Let’s look at the men who came to visit Job in his time of need, and see if we can learn a few things about friendship from them.

When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.

When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and threw dust into the air over their heads to show their grief. 

Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights. No one said a word to Job, for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.

Job 2:11-13

True friends.

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, demonstrated friendship in a powerful way. These men likely had families, careers, and responsibilities, yet they dropped everything and “traveled from their homes to comfort and console [Job]”. They had no ulterior motives, for Job had nothing to offer them. They went and sat with Job in silence for seven days, their presence sending a clear message: “We love you, dear friend.”

This got me to thinking: Have I cultivated any friendships in my life that rise to this level? If tragedy fell upon me, do I have a single friend that cares for me enough to do anything close to what Job’s friends did for him? Bonds this strong don’t happen by accident, and it’s a testament to Job’s character that he had at least four friends (Elihu is the fourth friend, mentioned later in the story) that cared for him so deeply.

And what have I done for my friends in need? A short phone call? A quick visit? A few hours of my time? When I look at what Job’s friends did for him, I must admit, I feel convicted. I may not be able to go and sit with a friend for seven days in silence, but I could certainly do better than say, “man, I’m really sorry about what happened,” and then just go back to my life. I need to do better in the future.

Not perfect.

Job chapter 3 – chapter 27 records the dialogue between Job and his three friends (note: the fourth and youngest friend, Elihu, is listening to the conversation).

Job’s friends clearly loved him, and had the best of intentions. Unfortunately, they thought they understood the cause of Job’s misfortune when, in fact, they did not. As a result, they added insult to injury by insisting that Job must have committed some heinous sin, and that God was punishing him for it.

Instead of comforting Job, they started preaching at him. They made assumptions that were false. They offered unsolicited and unwarranted advice, telling Job that he needed to repent of whatever terrible, secret sin he had committed.

On the one hand, this shows that Job’s friends were candid, and felt free to speak their minds with Job. That’s a positive thing. But they didn’t have enough information to rightly judge Job’s situation or to offer wise counsel. As a result, they unintentionally made the situation worse.

As we are told in Ecclesiastes 3:7, there is a time to speak, and a time to remain silent. When dealing with friends in pain, we should listen first, then pray for the wisdom to say things that are both comforting and true. If such words don’t come to us, we ought to keep quiet. Elihu demonstrates this for us in Job 32 – 37. He listened carefully, and when it was his turn to speak, he offered real words of wisdom.

The greatest friend.

The old hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus” is one of my favorites. Jesus told His disciples, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). And that’s exactly what Jesus did for you and me. He willingly laid down His life to pay our sin-debt. He offers the free gift of salvation to all who repent and put their faith in Him.

Jesus serves as the ultimate example of what a friend should be: loving, compassionate, and selfless.

So how good a friend are you? I know I have room for improvement in this area, and I suspect you do too. I think we could all be more giving of ourselves, more careful with our words, and better friends to each other.

Lessons From King Asa.

Asa, son of Abijah, was one of the few good kings that ruled over ancient Judah. His story is recorded in II Chronicles 14 -16. Take a few minutes and read those three chapters. There are many lessons in this passage. Here are a few that stood out to me.

1) Obedience leads to peace.

The first thing Asa does as king is address the widespread problem of idolatry. The countryside is littered with foreign alters, pagan shrines, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles. Asa destroys these detestable symbols of false gods, and then he commands the people of Judah to: seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey His law and His commands (II Chronicles 14:4).

As a result, his kingdom enjoys a period of peace. God blesses King Asa, and gives him rest from his enemies (II Chronicles 14:5-6).

—=—

If you want to be at peace, put God first in your life, and obey His commandments.

“Obey God and be at peace with Him.“

Job 22:21

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:9 – The Apostle Paul speaking.

2) No problem is too big for God.

After a time, Asa faces a major challenge. A powerful army mobilizes against Judah. A million soldiers and three hundred chariots advance on the town of Mareshah. Asa prepares for war, but he is greatly outnumbered, and knows he cannot win.

In the face of certain disaster, he cries out to God: “O LORD, no one but you can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in you alone. It is in your name that we have come against this vast horde. O LORD, you are our God; do not let mere men prevail against you!” (II Chronicles 14:11).

Asa calls out to God in his time of need, and God answers. God Himself fights the battle, and defeats the army that is too much for Asa.

—=—

We sometimes face challenges that seem impossible. In those times we can choose to despair, or we can call out to God, and trust that He is able to handle our situation.

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Luke 1:37

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22

3) God rewards those who remain faithful.

After God miraculously delivers Judah from their enemies, the prophet Azariah seeks out King Asa as he’s returning from the battle. Azariah tells Asa, and the people, that as long as they follow God’s commands, God will be with them. He also warns them not to turn away from God.

Then Azariah encourages the people with these words: “be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.” (II Chronicles 15:7).

Asa wastes no time. He sweeps through the kingdom and lays waste to any remaining idols. He repairs the altar in front of the LORD’s temple. Then Asa and his people offers sacrifices, and enter into a sacred covenant with God.

God rewards the people for their faithfulness: “All in Judah were happy about this covenant, for they had entered into it with all their heart. They earnestly sought after God, and they found him. And the Lord gave them rest from their enemies on every side.” (II Chronicles 15:15).

—=—

There are blessings for those who obey the LORD. God delights in working wonders for those who love Him.

 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12

…[God] is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6b

4) Even the righteous can fall.

Asa and his kingdom enjoy a long period of peace and prosperity, but somewhere along the way Asa becomes prideful and complacent.

In the 36th year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha invades Judah, and instead of asking God what he should do, Asa acts according to his own wisdom.

Hanani the seer confronts Asa with his error, but Asa is unrepentant, and throws Hanani in prison!

Asa continues to sin, and even begins to oppresses his own people. When he contracts a serious disease, he is still too proud to seek God’s help. King Asa’s final years are marked by war, pain, and suffering.

—=—

Asa’s sad ending is a sobering reminder to be spiritually vigilant. When times are good, it’s easy to put God on the backburner. It’s easy to get lazy with things like Bible study and church attendance. Often times we drift away from God so slowly that we don’t realize it’s happening until something dramatic happens to get our attention.

If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.

I Corinthians 10:12

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

I Peter 5:8

We can learn a lot from King Asa. If we remain faithful and obedient to God, He will reward us and give us peace. No problem is too big for God, and we should always seek Him first in times of trouble. Lastly, if we’re not careful, we can easily drift away from God. We need to renew our hearts and minds daily, and remember to put God first in our lives.

What Foundation Are You Building On?

I recently got one of those notifications on Facebook where it says something like, “Here’s a memory from this date X years ago!” and it shows you an old post you made. The post was from February 2012, and this is what it said:

“Feel awful today and don’t know why. Sad, depressed, miserable… just having a bad friggen day. Going to go to bed early and hope tomorrow turns out better.“

This got me thinking back to that time in my life, my early thirties.

Financially, things were good. My wife and I were both working, and we were debt free, except for our mortgage. We had money to invest, and we had enough disposable income to do the things we wanted to do.

Marriage was good. We had our ups and downs, of course, but we’d been married for over a decade, and had found a comfortable rhythm. We had no kids, so we spent a lot of time together, and we genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.

Physically, I was as healthy and strong as I have ever been. I had more hair, more energy, and better eyesight. I had free time to do what I wanted to do: I worked out, I played video games, I watched movies.

And yet… I was hurting, and I was miserable. What’s worse, I couldn’t figure out why. I remember having lunch with a buddy of mine during this time and lamenting, “I should be happy! Everything is great. I’ve got everything I need and more. I should be happy, but I’m not!”

A foundation of sand.

I thought at the time that I could find joy, peace, and satisfaction in the material world. If I worked hard enough, those things would surely come. I just needed a little more… more money, more status, more stuff.

But I discovered first-hand the truths found in the book of Ecclesiastes: Wealth is not the answer. Fame is not the answer. Pleasure is not the answer. No amount of earthly treasure is enough to satisfy the soul.

I like what actor/comedian Jim Carrey said: “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.“

A life of joy, peace, and satisfaction cannot be built on a foundation of worldly pursuits. Wealth, power, influence, fame… these are naught but shifting sand. Whatever you build on them is destined to fall.

“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Mathew 7: 26-27

The Solid Rock.

Instead of building on sand, you can build on Jesus Christ, the solid rock.

Don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t mean you will escape the storms of life. In fact, the Bible virtually promises hardship and sorrow will be a part of following Christ. But if you build your life on Jesus, then your joy, peace, and satisfaction will not collapse when the storms hit. Your Foundation will be unshakeable.

Jesus said:

“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 

Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.”

Mathew 7: 24-25

Build with the future in mind.

This broken world we live in is temporary. It will pass away. If you build your life on an earthly foundation, you will perish. Build your life on Jesus, and you will live.

And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

I John 2:17

Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 

And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Colossians 3: 2-4

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Mathew 6: 19-21

Missionary, Charles Studd, wrote:

Only one life ’twill soon be past.
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Friend, I have built on sand, and I have built on the Rock. The Rock is better. Take some time this week to think about what’s at the foundation of your life. What are you building on?

Even So.

The first few books of the Old Testament tell us how God delivered His people from Egypt, and brought them to the promised land.

Because of their disobedience, Israel wandered around the desert for 40 years. Moses, and most of the generation that had fled Egypt, were not allowed to enter the promised land, and many died in the wilderness.

Shortly after Moses died, Joshua lead the people across the River Jordan into the promised land.

With God’s help, Israel quickly conquered much of the promised land. Things were looking up! Israel was so confident, that they divided up the land amongst the tribes before they had even captured it all.

But then Joshua died, and the Israelites lost their way. They started doing the exact opposite of what God had told them to do. Instead of slaying the wicked inhabitants of the promised land, they started intermarrying with them, and began to worship their false gods.

The next 300+ years were tumultuous. This was the time of the Judges. Over and over the following pattern repeated:

  • Israel rebels against God.
  • God punishes them, allowing the surrounding nations to oppress them.
  • Israel cries out to God for help.
  • God sends a “Judge” to deliver them.
  • Israel turns back to God for a generation or two.
  • Israel starts getting friendly with the neighboring nations and their false gods… and the cycle repeats.

Lesson learned?

When we get to the book of I Samuel, Israel has reached an inflection point in their history. Samuel is destined to be the last Judge of Israel. The people have decided they want a king instead. They want to be like the nations around them.

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel.

“Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

I Samuel 8: 4-5

Samuel knows this is not a good plan. Israel is supposed to be different from the nations around them. They are God’s chosen people. God is their King. Samuel warns them, and explains what will happen if they insist on having an earthly king.

 “This is how a king will reign over you,” Samuel said. “The king will draft your sons and assign them to his chariots and his charioteers, making them run before his chariots. 

Some will be generals and captains in his army, some will be forced to plow in his fields and harvest his crops, and some will make his weapons and chariot equipment. 

The king will take your daughters from you and force them to cook and bake and make perfumes for him.

 He will take away the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his own officials.

 He will take a tenth of your grain and your grape harvest and distribute it among his officers and attendants.

He will take your male and female slaves and demand the finest of your cattle and donkeys for his own use. 

He will demand a tenth of your flocks, and you will be his slaves. 

When that day comes, you will beg for relief from this king you are demanding, but then the Lord will not help you.”

I Samuel 8: 11-18

Now you would think, after all that Israel has been through… after centuries of ups and downs, rebellion and consequences… that they would heed this warning.

Nope!

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. 

“We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

I Samuel 8: 19-20

Did you catch that? “EVEN SO, we still want a king.“

It’s easy to read that and think, “Come on! They know this is going to end badly. Why in the world would they go through with it!?” But we shouldn’t be too quick to judge.

When we sin, we know there will be consequences. We know because we’ve been warned by God’s Word. Even so, we sometimes decide that we want our own way, no matter the cost. But the bill always comes due. We pay a price for our sin; we bear the scars.

Even so, God loves us. When we repent, He forgives us and delivers us, just as He did for the Israelites.

Again and again he rescued [Israel], but they chose to rebel against him, and they were finally destroyed by their sin.

Even so, he pitied them in their distress and listened to their cries.

He remembered his covenant with them and relented because of his unfailing love.

Psalm 106: 43-45

A better, “even so”.

Our daily challenge as Christians is to make our “even so” look something like this:

“I’m tempted to [insert sin that you struggle with here]. I really want to! Even so, I choose to obey God.”

This isn’t easy, but it is doable through the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember this promise:

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

I Corinthians 10:13

Obedience.

I’ve been thinking a lot about obedience lately: what it means, why it’s difficult, and why it’s important.

Let’s begin by looking at the dictionary definition:

obedience, n.

The action or practice of obeying or doing what one is bidden;

the fact or quality of being obedient;

submission to the rule or authority of another.

Oxford English Dictionary

Look closely at that third definition (submission to the rule or authority of another), for it is in this sense that Christians are called to obey God.

Obedience means surrendering your will to Him. It means praying, as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine be done.”(Luke 22:42). It means doing what God says, even when you don’t want to. In fact, if God asks you to do something you want to do, then doing it isn’t obedience at all. There is no submission there; no surrendering of the will. Obedience is when you do what you’d rather not, because God told you to.

We find examples of this throughout Scripture. Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to be sacrificed (Genesis 22). Moses confronted Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 4). Gideon reduced his fighting force down to 300 men before a crucial battle (Judges 7). In each case, these men did what they did, not because they wanted to, but because God told them to. They submitted to God’s authority; surrendered their wills to Him. They obeyed.

What makes obedience so difficult?

———-Pride———-

When we understand what obedience is, it’s pretty easy to see why it’s hard to be obedient. We’re rebellious by nature. We hate being told what to do. Our sinful flesh wants to be in charge. If our fallen nature has a motto, it mirrors the last two lines of William Henley’s Invictus: “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.“(emphasis added).

Pride makes obedience nigh impossible. A prideful man does not recognize any authority higher than himself. He will not bend the knee, even to his Creator.

Humility is both prerequisite to, and a demonstration of, obedience. As always, Christ is our perfect example. Jesus humbly did the will of the Father at all times, no matter the cost.

[Jesus] humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

———-Fear———-

A second obstacle to obedience is fear. You can be humble, recognizing God as the ultimate authority, and still not obey because of fear. Fear comes in many flavors: fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of loss, fear of pain, fear of death.

Fear is a paralytic toxin when it comes to obedience. As humility is the antidote to pride, so faith is the antidote to fear. To overcome fear, we must have faith that God is good, that He knows what is best, and that He will give us the strength we need to accomplish what He tells us to do.

The prophet Isaiah spoke often about faith and fear:

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 2:12

[The LORD] will keep in perfect peace all who trust in [Him], all whose thoughts are fixed on [Him]!

Isaiah 26:3

Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:4

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Bottom line: Obedience requires humility and faith.

Why bother?

Since obedience is so hard, and it involves doing what we don’t want to do, why should we obey? Here are four good reasons:

1) For our protection:

When you tell a small child, “Don’t put your hand on that hot stove,” you do so because you care about the child. You know that if the child disobeys, they will suffer the consequences.

In the same way, many of the commands God has given us are for our own protection. We may not see how disobedience will lead to disaster (just as a child may not fully understand what will happen if they touch the stove), but God does. Obedience can, and often does, keep us from harm.

2) For our development:

When I tell my daughter to clean her room, or to do her chores, I’m not doing it just to throw my weight around. My daughter may think these things are not important, and that I’m being a horrible dictator, but that’s simply not true. I know there are important life-lessons that can only be learned from experience. By doing her chores, she learns about authority, responsibility, discipline, and much more. Doing what I ask of her develops her character in ways she does not understand.

Similarly, when we obey God, we gain valuable experience. We become more like Christ. Obedience strengthens our faith, and builds our character.

3) Out of love:

God’s love for us is clear. He created us, sustains us, and cares for us. Everything we have, and all that we are, comes from Him. He loved us so much that, while we were still sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8).

God wants us to love Him in return, and to do that, we obey. Jesus said: “If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15).

4) For guidance:

Imagine that I come to you and ask you for directions and we have this conversation:

Me: Hey, do you know how to get to such-and-such?

You: Sure. First, head south...

Me: Whoa! let me stop you right there. I don't want to go south. I'm headed north. Can you please help me get to such-and-such?

You: Yes. Turn around and head south, then...

Me: Wait! I just told you ... I'm not going south. Now, please, just tell me how to get to such-and-such!

If I refuse to follow your instructions, you can’t help me, can you?

It’s the same way with God. If you want Him to direct you, you must make sure that you are following the directions you already have. For example, suppose God tells you to go to church (Hebrews 10:25), study your Bible (II Timothy 2:15), and spend time in prayer (I Thessalonians 5:17). If you refuse to do these things, how can you expect God to direct you any further?

Start obeying the commands you know, and God will guide you from there.

Take action.

Obedience is not easy. To submit to God’s authority, we have to swallow our pride and overcome our fears, but when we do, blessings come. When we obey, God protects us, develops us, and guides us.

See if you can think of just one command God has given you that you are not following. What’s stopping you? Pride? Fear? Ask God to help you change. Make a commitment to obey that command from here on out. It won’t be easy, but God will bless you if you do.

Unconventional Gratitude.

We just celebrated Thanksgiving, and I certainly have much to be thankful for. It’s easy to be grateful for the good things … friends, family, health, food, shelter, clothes, etc. etc. But lately God has challenged me to be thankful for some less-than-ideal things.

Replace the grumble.

A typical morning: My 13-year-old dog wakes me up from a deep sleep because she wants breakfast –grumble-. As I stumble out of bed, I’m reminded of all my body aches … neck, back, shoulders –grumble!- I feed the dog, then decide to feed myself. I make a cup of coffee, then pull a breakfast sandwich out of the freezer, but I can’t read the tiny print that tells me how long to heat it up for –grumble!!- I hunt down my reading glasses, toss the sandwich in the microwave, but then my kid needs something and I get distracted. By the time I get back to my coffee and sandwich, both are ice-cold –grumble!!!

Lately the Holy Spirit has shown me that there’s a lot to be grateful for in my morning routine. I am thankful that my old dog is still with me. Though my body hurts, I am thankful that I’m not bed-ridden or wheelchair bound. Though my eyesight is getting worse, praise God I can still see! And though my coffee and egg-muffin are cold, I’m glad to have sustenance.

I’ve started to replace the grumble with gratitude and it has improved my mornings dramatically.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

Thankful for “no”.

God, why didn’t you give me ______?

My “blank” has lots of things in it. Wealth, fame, talent, etc. If God were a genie that granted wishes, I’d be a rockstar/movie-god with mansions, yachts, and a private jet (just one, ’cause I’m not greedy or anything).

Sometimes I look at what the millionaires and billionaires have and wonder why God is holding out on me. Instead of being grateful for what I have, I start to envy what I don’t.

But God has given me an answer to my question, and it’s actually a little embarrassing. I know that if God gave me all the things my sinful heart desires, my relationship with Him would go down the toilet. I would be caught up in, and consumed by, the pleasures of this world, and I would go spiritually bankrupt.

There’s a passage in proverbs where Agur asks God specifically not to give him riches for this very reason.

…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Proverbs 30:8-9

I’m like a child who wants pizza and ice-cream for every meal, and can’t understand why his parents say, “no!” I’m learning that when God says “no” it’s for my benefit.

Grateful in suffering.

In II Corinthians, the Apostle Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh.” We’re not given the details, but it’s clear from the passage that this thorn is something very unpleasant. Three times Paul asks God to remove it, and God replies, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9a)

Paul came to understand that even this difficult thing in his life was there for his good. It kept him humble, and it allowed God to continue to work through him.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12:9-10

It’s hard to be grateful when you’re hurting. It may be the most difficult test of faith. To be in physical or emotional pain and believe that God is good and that your pain has a purpose.

Remember this promise from the book of Romans:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

Challenge yourself to be a grateful person. Be grateful for what you have, and for what you don’t. Be grateful in the midst of suffering, believing that one day you will understand how everything you experienced in life was a manifestation of God’s love, mercy, and grace.

Be Useful.

American actor Shia Labeouf has led a tumultuous life. In 2021 he was nearing rock-bottom. Desperate to get back into the spotlight, he signed on to do a drama, accepting the role of Padre Pio, an Italian priest.

To prepare for the role, Shia spent several months with a group of Franciscan monks, and the experience changed his life. I don’t know if Shia is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation (I hope so), but I do know that there has been a great shift in his mindset. He said something in a recent interview that really resonated with me. To paraphrase: Before, my purpose in life was to be happy. That’s not my purpose anymore. Now my purpose is to be useful.

He’s onto something. When your primary concern is your own happiness, your focus is on yourself… what can I do to make myself feel better? But if your mission is to be useful, your focus is on others… how can I serve those around me? This was certainly the mindset of Jesus. He came with a servant’s heart and spent His lifetime serving those around Him.

Called to serve.

There are numerous scriptures that echo the idea that we ought to focus on serving others rather than ourselves. Here’s a sample:

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Galatians 5:13-14

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

I Peter 4:9-10

Jesus called [the disciples] together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark 10: 42-45

Unnatural.

Knowing what we should do and actually doing it are two different things. The truth is, it goes against our fallen nature to serve others. Deep in our hearts we believe that it’s better to be a king than to be a slave. But our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), and we must fight our natural desire to put ourselves first.

Fact: We are all selfish creatures! But the Holy Spirit can give us the strength to be humble, and to focus more on the needs of others than on our own. Ask God to help you be a better servant, and He will.

Unexpected benefits.

It’s difficult and counterintuitive to put others first, but it’s amazing what happens when you “just do it!” When you focus on serving others, true joy comes as a byproduct.

It’s ironic that when we focus on ourselves and our own selfish interests, happiness inevitably evades us. Yet when we decide to serve others, happiness is a frequent side effect. Put it to the test. Ask yourself how you can be useful to the people around you today. Focus on their needs and watch how God blesses all involved.

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