This is the beginning of a week about service. I'm not sure how service can be spread over 7 days of lessons... I imagine the material will become fairly thin by the end. In any event, willingness to serve is as good a place to start as any.
This lesson brings to light that our selfish desires are standing in the way of us doing service that is pleasing to God. It also provokes a bit of thought related to our culture of self-serving behavior. To be truly counter-cultural would mean putting aside selfish ambition and replacing it with an attitude of servant-heartedness.
The example of Jesus is to be a servant to everyone, putting yourself last, sacrificing everything. Extremely difficult in our daily lives where we have to put so much time and effort into work. In the last paragraph, Rick Warren states that serving on earth is practice for serving in eternity. Biblically, I'm not sure where he's getting that. I certainly don't agree that I'm less prepared for heaven if I'm not serving my tail off on earth. There is a balance that we should be aware of though. We should be serving more... but don't go thinking that it is your only calling. Life is your calling. Proclaiming the Gospel in your everyday life is the type of spiritual service that we are called to.
Today's lesson is about serving each other through the help we can offer during a crisis. A very specific type of help. But crisis now is extremely relative. Helping each other in crisis could mean teenage relationship troubles, or a death in the family.
The most important thing to take from this lesson is trust in God. Seriously, if you think that you can just be there for a friend in crisis and have it all just work out... you are missing a very important point. The point of you being there for that friend is to be the light of Christ. To have an opportunity to share the hope that is available in Christ to another believer that may not otherwise recognize it in a time of crisis is exactly what Jesus wants. Jesus wants to take that burden away... he wants us to put our whole trust in Him.
When facing trouble, I like the way a good friend always put it. He would say, "Oh darn, I need to trust God again". That always puts it into perspective for me. So when facing a time when God is calling you to help another person deal with hardship... just remember to put your eyes on Jesus.
The main point of this lesson is that generosity comes in many forms. It isn't just a matter of giving things or money away. Instead, it is about being a generous steward of everything that God has given us to manage. As this lesson points out, generosity includes both giving and sharing.
It is pretty astonishing to think that 3 billion people could be live on as little as $2 a day. Brings things back into perspective actually. Our calling is to be ready to serve each other like the early church did in the Book of Acts. It is just a matter of being there for each other, generously in every way.
The main point of this lesson is to help us to look at ourselves with sober judgment. It is a matter of identifying in us a need for Christ, and in so doing, maintaining an attitude of humility. With that attitude, we become more open to the calling to serve each other's interests instead of our own.
The big thing I took from the lesson is that humility is having an accurate assessment of our strengths and weaknesses. I relate that directly to the weaknesses brought on through my sinful desires, and the many strengths that are poured out through the Holy Spirit working in me. To me, it is about recognizing that every good thing is from God, and humility is recognizing the source.
It is a wonderful thing the way that God has uniquely crafted each one of us. I've been a firm believer that when it comes to the gifting of the Holy Spirit, God doesn't hold back a single gift.
There are several specific spiritual gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. I used to think that each Christian was unique because they each had a different one, or some combination from the list, not to mention certain talents and background that would make the individual giftedness especially unique. I'm inclined to expand my thinking on the matter. It seems to me that the infinite will and power of God is vast enough to gift each Christian with all of the gifts. With every gift available to us, the Holy Spirit can work in any way to reach anyone with the saving message of Jesus Christ.
One thing I really dislike is acrostics. It seems every point worth making, magically has a clever acrostic to support it. Blah! Regardless, it is important to know that God has shaped each one of us. I will continue to argue though that he hasn't shaped us in a finite way. Instead, his work in us is infinite - the possibilities are endless... in a "God's love is endless" kind of way.
This lesson really hits home with me. It is about serious sacrifice. The author stirs a number of emotions surrounding the blatant lack of self-sacrifice that seems prevalent in our culture. Why is that in 2006, so many people refuse to stand and support the people that fight for our freedoms... generations ago it was something all too different. The reason these people are remembered, and the reason that history honors them, is that they sacrificed everything to serve a future generation that wouldn't give a crap.
But it is 2006, and the need for self-sacrificing service still exists. My personal shortcomings come to mind. My reputation is extremely valuable to me. So much so that I'd rather not be known as a religious nut job... despite the fact that I am. It will take the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome all of my self-serving desires. I can only hope that it will result in a fraction of the self-sacrifice of those who have paved the way for us all.
© 2007-2010 - Jonathan E. Kuhl