Tag Archives: serving God

Godliness

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1 Timothy 3:14-16

Who is the most godly person you know? What qualities do you see that point to godliness in him or her?

I think of one of the ladies in my Sunday School class. She’s a woman grounded in the truth of Scripture. She is a prayer warrior. She has a quiet strength. She is refined, self-controlled, compassionate, kind, joyful, humble, faithful, wise, and generous. She has a servant’s heart and doesn’t seek recognition for the things she does. She feeds the hurting and ill people in our family of faith, sends cards and flowers, makes telephone calls, stays connected with many who have moved away. And most of the time her deeds are known only between her and the one who receives the blessing from her. Check out Proverbs 31. You might see her there.

This dear lady looks very much like Christ in her. She’s probably not perfect, although I can’t see a whole lot of imperfection. Godliness is not perfection. At least not yet.

But if Christ is in us, His character ought to be recognizable in us, too. My friend is still growing, still learning, still pursuing God as she loves and serves Him. I think that’s what Paul is recommending for Timothy (and us) here in these verses.

Take a good look at Jesus, then strive to be like Him, press on toward that goal, it’s not you or I who live but Christ living in and through us. Let our conduct in our homes, in our churches, our neighborhoods be a result of deep-seated loyalty and devotion to our Lord.

I pray that you are the most godly person in someone’s life. If not today, then soon as you grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, as you submit daily to Him, and allow His Spirit to bear fruit in your life.

He deserves that.

May you be blessed and a blessing today.

Religious Stuff

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1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Friend, if you don’t read your Bible every day asking God to speak to you, then expecting to hear His voice, you are missing out.

A few months ago I found a devotional book of short excerpts from AW Tozer sermons, compiled by Gerald B. Smith and published by Moody Publishers, 2008, called Mornings With Tozer. Today, August 20, there was a line that caught my attention and prepared my heart to hear from God as I turned to 1 Corinthians 15. In fact, I not only heard what God wanted me to know, I got a gentle hug from my Lord, too.

So Paul is talking about our resurrected bodies. It’s natural to wonder what we will look like in our new and improved bodies. I see me as a size 0 with long flowing blond hair and perfect skin. I digress.

Paul says the body I am wearing will die like a seed dies in the ground and comes forth as something totally different. This body won’t be the same when Jesus comes for the harvest. It will be changed into something incorruptible and immortal in the twinkling of an eye. (I get chills just thinking about that. Jesus is coming again!)

But, and this comes from the “therefore” in verse 58, until that eye-twinkle I am to be “steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

I hear God say, “Don’t spend so much time trying to figure out things the details of which I didn’t think were important for you to know. Get to work.” My spiritual body will be what God intends my spiritual body to be and until I receive that spiritual body, it’s pointless to dwell on the possibilities. There are too many things to do before I get there.

I was prompted to take an inventory of my “labor in the Lord.” I am a Sunday School teacher, a ladies’ Bible Study teacher, the head of a children’s ministry, I sit on a long range planning committee at church, and am on a team that serves our Wednesday dinners. I attend church every Sunday, followed by Sunday School, I go to our Wednesday night prayer and Bible study. I spend many hours each week preparing for the various lessons I teach, and I start each day with a quiet time in God’s Word. I will tell you, sometimes I get weary.

So I read Paul’s charge to be “steadfast, immovable, excellent,” and my whole body aches. All the things I do are good things, I love doing them, and it’s my privilege to serve God this way. But none of that is the most important thing.

Here’s what Tozer said that got my attention: “Of things religious we may become tired, even prayer may weary us, but God never!”

I’ve come to realize it’s when I’m doing religious stuff, when I’m intent on the task at hand, wanting to do well, giving it my all, that’s when I become the weariest. But when my gaze is on Jesus, when I am in-tune to His voice and relying on His direction and strength, He makes me steadfast, immovable, and excellent.

I said I felt a hug from God this morning. I hear Him tell me to quit trying so hard. It’s not that any of what I do is wrong, or that the time I put in is futile, or that I shouldn’t want what I do to be excellent. But none of that can come in place of my relationship with Jesus. My first priority is to my Savior.

When we, God and I, work together the labor is not in vain. When my focus is on Jesus, the work gets done with excellence. I’m glad God has given me some religious stuff to do, but the stuff isn’t my religion.

Jesus is.

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers

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Matthew 20:1-16

I was sitting here this morning thinking about this parable, and how it speaks to death-bed-confessions like the thief on the cross. What is their reward? According to Jesus, the generosity of God rewards them the same as He does a Billy Graham. The newly saved person meets the Savior in the same way we who are seasoned Christians meet Him, as sinners saved by grace. The Kingdom of God is like that.

Oh we, like the early workers in the parable, think the longer we serve God, the greater our reward ought to be. We’ll certainly have more stars in our crowns and live in mansions next to their bungalows. Right? I mean, we’ve put in the time. That ought to count for something.

But this parable tells us our rewards will be exactly the same. So if that’s the case, what good is it to live a lifetime of faith in Jesus? What good is it to be separate from a world that offers so much, if in the end I’ll receive exactly what a last minute confessor gets?

I can’t begrudge a last minute convert’s eternal reward. In fact, I kind of feel bad for him. A person saved on his death-bed doesn’t know what he’s missed. He doesn’t know the joy of fellowship with the Creator in this lifetime. He doesn’t know the wonder of answered prayer, or the privilege of introducing a lost soul to his Savior. He never experiences the hand of God to guide, protect, comfort, and hold. The death-bed confessor doesn’t know what that’s like. But I do.

And I wouldn’t trade one minute of this walk with Jesus for anything. This precious time He has given me to experience Him, to serve Him, to get to know Him and love Him is a gift I cherish. May I be a willing and joyful worker in His vineyard no matter how long I have to serve Him in this lifetime.

The Rich Fool

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Luke 12:13-21

I find it sadly relatable that the man seems to have been present when Jesus was speaking to the crowd about the hypocrisy of false teachers, about the necessity of fearing God, and bowing to Him. Yet, he blew it off because he had an agenda:

I WANT…

The thing is, by Law, if his brother had received the inheritance, his brother was the first-born and doesn’t owe this man anything. The man wasn’t asking Jesus to help him get what he deserved. He was asking Jesus to force his brother to give him what he did not deserve.

Who doesn’t want something for nothing? Who doesn’t look at what someone has, and want it or better for themselves? The problem of envy is a monster in all of us.

Unless we have a change of heart. Unless we move our priorities from self to God. We can have the healthiest bank accounts, the nicest homes, the newest cars, and the most expensive clothes and be the poorest of the poor if our souls are bankrupt by sin.

Thank God, through Jesus we all can receive what we don’t deserve – the forgiveness of our sins, and all the spiritual wealth of being adopted into the family of God.

That being said, I think there might be a chance this parable can suggest a works salvation. O’Donnell, The Parables of Jesus (Crossway Publishers; 2023) says Christians “must use their God-given financial means to be generous to others and thus store up treasure for the life to come. (p 24, emphasis mine). He cites 1 Timothy 6:10 and Matthew 6:20.

I guess my question is – what constitutes treasures in heaven? If our good works are compared to filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), do we present those to God in exchange for treasure in heaven? Do we give to the poor to get a star in our crown? Is that what Jesus is teaching here?

Or do we combine this with what Jesus says in Luke 17:9-10, and give simply because it’s our duty and NOT expect even a thanks from our Master. We are servants who obey, nothing more, nothing less.

Does our treasure in heaven consist of things? Or will it be the eternal souls we have touched with the Gospel? I believe this parable and the consistent teaching of Jesus teach that the only thing that matters are the souls. He Himself became a servant, emptying Himself of all the riches of heaven, and became obedient unto death on the cross. Why? It wasn’t for a nice mansion.

And Jesus is our example to follow.

“I Don’t Need Church”

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Judges 18

You hear people say all the time that you don’t need to go to church in order to be a Christian. Of course, church attendance isn’t salvation. But there are some very important reasons why a true Christian ought to want to worship, fellowship, and serve with other believers on a regular basis.

In Judges 18 the Danites were looking for a place to live. So, of course, they wanted to find the best land, and land occupied with people who could be easily defeated in battle. They found Laish. Here’s what they found:

  1. the people were living in safety
  2. they were unsuspecting and secure
  3. the land lacked nothing
  4. the people were prosperous
  5. they lived far from other people “and had no relationship with anyone else.”

I think that describes many people who call themselves Christians but don’t go to church. They feel secure in their relationship with God. They claim they are fine the way they are. Why would they need a church?

When the Danites attacked, the people in Laish had no one to help them, no one had their backs, and they were soundly defeated.

I don’t think I need to paint a clearer picture. You and I are under attack. I choose to go to war against the enemy shoulder to shoulder with people I know who are committed to Jesus like I am. I know they have my back. And I have their’s.

The added blessing of standing with these people is the joy of simply knowing and loving them. A church can be a family you choose. We laugh at my church. We cry. We struggle. We encourage each other. We hold each other accountable. We even just hang out on occasion. And we always pray for one another. We are brothers and sisters in Christ.

Plus, and not the least of the reasons to go to church is the privilege of corporate worship, hearts in unison with love toward and in awe of our Lord and Savior, the act of like minds focused on our Heavenly Father. It’s a mini-heavenly gathering every week.

If you are one who says they don’t need church, I would say you are wrong about that. When you isolate yourself and deny yourself the relationships with people who love the Lord, you leave yourself wide open for Satan’s arrows.

And, my friend, you are neglecting your responsibility to care for them, too. It’s not all about you. You are needed as much as you need them.

Don’t say you don’t need to go to church in order to be a Christian. The truth of the matter is you need church very much in order to be the Christian God wants you to be.

It’s Ahead

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Numbers 20-21

So the Israelites occupied the cities they conquered. I have so many questions. It wasn’t technically the Promised Land, but it sounds like many of the Jews found homes there. Were these the 2 1/2 tribes that eventually stayed there? Did their wanderings end there? It would seem so, although there are a lot of things that happened to the nation of Israel in the wilderness before they crossed the Jordan River.

I get it, I guess. We all like to be comfortable. We get tired of the journey, of the battle out there. We find a comfortable place to lay our faith, and call it home. But there are battles yet to fight. God wants to grow our faith, stretch us, strengthen us, use us to show our world how awesome He is so that they’ll want Him, too.

Am I satisfied with my relationship with God to the point I don’t feel the need or desire to grow any more? Do I convince myself my days of serving God are behind me, and it’s time to put my feet up? The Promised Land is still ahead.

Am I going to quit now?

Rest

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Leviticus 25

I can understand why the Israelites might express concern over God’s command that every seven years the land was not to be planted, nor crops harvested. God was really saying there would be no food for two years; the first when the land was resting, the second as the crops grew before the harvest. It wasn’t like they could just go to the grocery.

God foresaw their objection and said, “Don’t worry. The bounty of the sixth year will sustain you for three years!” More than they would need.

Ok, God, if you say so. But I am a bit anxious about the whole thing.

I hear God asking me this morning if I really trust Him with my own future. Or am I so busy making things happen, I miss the blessing that come from rest? Do I plunge into my day with just a quick nod to my Lord, or do I stop and let Him feed me from His bounty?

I hear God remind me to “be still and know that (He) is God.” (Ps 46:10)

He says, “Come unto me… and I will give you rest.” (Matt 11:28)

And, “Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before you eyes!” (1 Sam 12:16)

Is it possible to be too busy serving God? It would seem so, according to Scripture. Even Jesus took a break from time to time to be alone with the Father.

Do you trust God? Don’t neglect the rest. Not rest FROM God or from serving Him, but rest IN Him before you serve.

Rest. Then get back to work.

Take Off Your Sandals

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Exodus 1-4

Moses grew up a prince in the palace of the most powerful king in the world at that time. He most likely had everything a boy could ask for. In fact, the first forty years of Moses’ life was lived in luxury, honor, and privilege. He knew he wouldn’t be king, his stepfather had an older son. But if something should happen to his brother? Maybe.

Think of all the ways God could have saved Israel if Moses had been King of Egypt! If I were writing the story, I think that’s direction I’d take. But it wasn’t until Moses left that life and took on the lowest rung of the career ladder in Egypt… shepherd!… that God called him into action.

In fact, God waited another forty years until the prince in Moses was worked out of him and only a shepherd remained. Then Moses was ready for the task at hand.

How often do we think God can only use the successful, popular, well-spoken extroverts to do great things? That’s not true. In fact often we see those kinds of people rejected by God in favor of the weak and lowly. Think the shepherd boy David. Think the recluse John the Baptist. Think the fishermen, tax collector, disciples. Think Mary Magdalene. Dozens and dozens of outcasts and “sinners” used by God in extraordinary ways.

God delights in using ordinary people like you and me who are willing to take off our sandals and stand on holy ground, to allow God to show His strength in our weakness, His power through us so He is clearly seen.

So whether you are living in a palace or sleeping under the stars with smelly sheep, God can use you. Take off your sandals. Spend time on holy ground. Stop the excuses and submit to the perfect will of God. Moses saw incredible things happen when he did that.

And so will you!

Entitled?

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Luke 17

We live in an age of entitlement. Employers are finding it hard to find people actually willing to work. If they do work, they believe they are owed a paycheck that equals that of those who have seniority. There are people who refuse to work who want those who have worked hard, saved, invested, and enjoy the fruit of their labor to hand over their earnings to make things “equal.”

Kids who put on a uniform once a week demand equal playing time with the kids who practice all week, train, sweat, and study to improve. And everybody gets a trophy!

Most of us can look at these examples and see the problem. The truth is, entitlement is a big problem in our world. And we know it. At least we recognize it in our world, but do we recognize it in ourselves?

Jesus talked about having the attitude of a servant. A servant knows he is not “entitled” to anything. His lot in life is to do what is required. Period.

Entitlement is a problem in the world, but it is also a problem in the Church. Some people think God owes them. They question God when they don’t get the answer to prayer they expect. They get angry with God when trouble comes, illness or death touches them.

I’ve heard people say So and So “doesn’t deserve that.” I don’t think that’s a judgment God wants us to make. Not if we are His servants.

The truth is a true servant of God will take whatever happens, do whatever is required of them, and thank God for the privilege of serving Him so that He – not the servant – is glorified.

Easy? No! Will we never question, never be disappointed or discouraged? No! But if we remind ourselves that all things work together for good for those of us who love God, and that He is able to do above and beyond what we ask or think, we will realize what a privilege it is to be His servants.

No such thing as an entitled servant! “We are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty.” (Vs 10b)

My Service to the Lord

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Nehemiah 5-8

There were some men who wanted to serve in the temple in Jerusalem. Their intentions were no doubt good, but they could not prove they actually belonged to Israel by birth. Because of that, they were considered unclean, and were denied the privileges afforded those who were proven Jewish.

Today, a lot of people want to be included into the family of Christ. They call themselves Christians, but when it comes right down to it, they haven’t been born again. They haven’t dealt with their sin problem and asked Jesus to cleanse them. They, too, will be excluded in the end.

But in this passage of Scripture we also read about hundreds of men, along with their sons who did serve the Lord. In fact, all we know about the majority is that they served the Lord. Thousands of years after their deaths, we are still reading their names based on their service to God.

We don’t know their net worth, or the kind of camel they drove, or if their house had a view. We don’t know how much education they had, or whether they had influential friends. All we know – all we know – is that they served the Lord.

That’s what I want people to say about me today, tomorrow, a hundred years from now and into eternity. “She served the Lord.” I have been saved by grace. I am a Christian according to Scripture. And I am a servant of God.

That, my friend, is all that matters – all that will matter in the end. It’s not about me. It’s about my Savior, and my service to the Lord.