We've been talking about that some. When we serve out of a motivation to satisfy our own needs, we serve selfishly. If we serve for the feeling we get ... we serve for the wrong reason. If we serve for the thanks ... we serve for the wrong reason. If we serve to achieve an emotional high ... we serve for the wrong reason. If we serve because we want to represent Jesus and bring honor to Him, we get it right.
Imagine serving day after day in a soup kitchen, on the streets or in a small room where no one ever saw you or praised you for your efforts. Would you still do it? Imagine coming back to New Orleans year after year after year until every home was rebuilt. Would you do it? Why are we here?
Some of us are recognizing that our motivations and expectations have been based on what we expect to get out of the "experience." Is that what this is? Is it just another experience? Are we using the people of the New Orleans to meet our own needs? That is just not right.
The Lord is again taking us from where we were working to gratify our own needs to a place that is surrendured to Him and meant only to bring glory to him. That is worship. Worship is not about tingles or experience, it is about surrendering ourselves to God to be used each and every day in whatever way He desires.
- Scott
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
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4 comments:
Oswald Chambers had something to say about service and exhaustion that you might like to ponder upon. He said: "you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the dregs. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; you have to be literally 'sucked', until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself. He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. All my fresh springs shall be in Thee." - O. Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, February 9th.
"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strenth to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:28-29.
Thank you for your service and for your exhaustion. Praise God that He will fill you up to send you out and feed those who are hungry.
Love you all,
Stephanie
I think that it is possible to serve selfishly. I bet many do; I know that I have. I am in the position of serving right now. I am preparing some devotions for a father-son retreat that Ethan and I are going on. Sure I get satisfaction out of it. Yet there are times when I want to goof off after my "day job", but God's calling me back to give from the resources that He has graciously given me. Why do I answer His call ? I'm sure that you all are asking yourselves that question from time to time on your great mission. Why do you answer ? I dunno, for me maybe it is because I can't NOT answer.
God bless you with rest tonight !
Phil B (this is where the lame Dad joke usually goes)
Great lesson for all, Scott. We miss the depth of blessing in not getting our service right, and we risk becoming more self-centered and less Christ-centered. Since everything we do reflects worship of something, we need to be always praying for God's help in learning to live out our lives truly for Him.
And yet, as Paul points out in Philippians, no matter the reason behind the service, as long as Christ is proclaimed we should rejoice. Your presence there in the midst of such great need proclaims our Lord. I hope all can enjoy the real blessing!
spk
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Thank you, for that reflective entry about serving selfishly, Scott. I can't wait to get to Heaven and meet all those people who have been silently pouring out their lives for others, without any expectation of recognition or compensation. They do their work, day after day, because they know it honors Christ, and because it is the right thing to do. Every now and then I get a glimpse of this... hearing about those Indonesian Christians who cared for Adolph Bowens after his stroke, talking with a volunteer who keeps vigil with homeless AIDS victims as they lie on their deathbeds..., these quiet servants are among us.
I appreciate your call to our teens (and to all of us), to examine and refine our motives in serving others in the name of the Lord. These teenagers of ours are the same kids that had Kindergarten graduation, got trophies for participation on a T-Ball team, got elaborate goodie bags at each birthday party, had dress up dances in Middle School. Hey, I am not judging anyone- I was right there in the thick of it, applauding every tiny accomplishment, just as much as the next guy. Our kids did not even ask for all this attention- I think it was some kind of Baby Boomer fad that we inflicted upon our offspring.
But seriously, at this point in their lives, I believe that it is right to ask our teens to avoid the mistake of serving others in order to feel good or to build a resume. It goes back to Jesus- it is an act of honoring Him when we feed the hungry, invite the stranger in, look after the sick, paint the school, hang the cabinet, smooth out the dry wall mud, play house with the four year old (Matt 25:34-40). Thank you for asking our teens to examine their hearts in order to find out how to honor and worship the Lord. Thank you for asking all of us to do this. Holly G
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