The other night I was reading a post from a classmate in Missouri. He had responded to a forum that I had posted on an assignment the day before, and was asking me about my goal to become more of a leader with a servant's heart. His question was pretty much...... how do you know if you have a servant's heart, and what does that look like? I thought that it was good question and it started me thinking; how do I know if I have a servant's heart? What would it look like to people that I come in contact with everyday?
I could tell stories of examples that I have seen in other people that I believe have a servant's heart, but that doesn't tell me if I have a servant's heart; and that doesn't answer my classmate's question. Still, I recall all the examples that I have seen. There has to be something common in all of them; something that I can learn and develop into my leadership goals. Hmmm; maybe there is something in the scriptures that could shed some light on this. Of course, the best example of a servant's heart was demonstrated by Jesus as he washed the feet of His disciples. And what made this so amazing at the time........it wasn't expected by His disciples. This was not what they would ever think their Master should do; totally unexpected. That's it!!
How do you know if you have a servant's heart? When you take the opportunity to do something for someone, it doesn't matter what it is, and they weren't expecting you to do it; that is having a servant's heart. It is not hard. It may be demanding, and it may be dirty; but it is something that you feel lead to do......and that leading comes from within the heart......a servant's heart.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
what if I break it?
The other night I was communicating with a lady in California through a discussion forum (the internet is so cool), and she was making a statement......or maybe it was a question. She has this fear that when God makes something available for us to use.....what happens if we break it? Will He be upset with us?
I started wondering about the same thing. God has given all of us at least one gift; some maybe more. Our responsibilty is to use our gift in service for Him. If He has given us a gift, then I suspect that He would prefer that we use it, instead of storing it away. I think that sometimes we take what God has given us and we place a label on it. The label may be "precious", "delicate", or "fragile". We treat it like some people would treat an antique. "Be careful with that!" "Please don't drop that! It will break!" Maybe you haven't heard that before, but I grew up hearing it. You know how children can be. They just don't realize how fragile something can be, or how easily it can be broken. We'll just put this away for safe keeping. I guess if we grow up with that in our mind, and then God hands us a gift to use....hmmm. I can see how there could be a sense of fear that God might be upset if we break it.
Then again, why would He give us something and not expect us to use it? If we don't use the gift He has given us, then we will never break it. We might forget that we have it, but we won't break it. It can only be broken if we are actually using it; if we are putting it to use in our lives; if we are......how can I say this?......if we're wearing it out. I believe that if it does break, God will fix it. I believe that if we come to Him with whatever we've broken, He is not upset; He smiles. That smile that says, "Yes!! You're using my gift! That's what I wanted you to do"....
"Well done!"
I started wondering about the same thing. God has given all of us at least one gift; some maybe more. Our responsibilty is to use our gift in service for Him. If He has given us a gift, then I suspect that He would prefer that we use it, instead of storing it away. I think that sometimes we take what God has given us and we place a label on it. The label may be "precious", "delicate", or "fragile". We treat it like some people would treat an antique. "Be careful with that!" "Please don't drop that! It will break!" Maybe you haven't heard that before, but I grew up hearing it. You know how children can be. They just don't realize how fragile something can be, or how easily it can be broken. We'll just put this away for safe keeping. I guess if we grow up with that in our mind, and then God hands us a gift to use....hmmm. I can see how there could be a sense of fear that God might be upset if we break it.
Then again, why would He give us something and not expect us to use it? If we don't use the gift He has given us, then we will never break it. We might forget that we have it, but we won't break it. It can only be broken if we are actually using it; if we are putting it to use in our lives; if we are......how can I say this?......if we're wearing it out. I believe that if it does break, God will fix it. I believe that if we come to Him with whatever we've broken, He is not upset; He smiles. That smile that says, "Yes!! You're using my gift! That's what I wanted you to do"....
"Well done!"
Monday, March 9, 2009
living in a garbage can
These past couple of days have been amazing.....weather-wise, I mean. Very different from last weekend, with all the rain and snow. 70's on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. It has been beautiful. Just stepping outside and taking it all in; you can't help but think about how amazing God is......that He created all of this for us. And in six days.
I was reading a quote the other day by Keith Green. He was a Christian Songwriter, whose life was cut short in a plane crash at the age of 28. In a very short span of life, he made a major impact on what we now call contemporary worship music. He also did a lot evangelism. Karen sent me a page online so I could read some of his quotes, and this was one of them that fit with what I just talked about.
“You know, I look around at the world and I see all the beauty that God made. I see the forest and the trees and all the things. And it says in the Bible that He made them in six days, and I don’t know if they’re a literal six days or not. Scientists would say no; some theologians would say yes; it doesn’t matter to me. But I know that Jesus Christ has been preparing a home for me, and for some of you, for two thousand years. And if this world took six days, and that home took two thousand years, … this is living in a garbage can compared to what’s going up there.”
A "garbage can"?!? How could he call this living in a garbage can? It's beautiful here. Just look around. I know that may be hard to grasp, but if we think about it; deep down inside, we know he is right. To be in the presence of God, in all His glory, and to share that with all of heaven....
I was reading a quote the other day by Keith Green. He was a Christian Songwriter, whose life was cut short in a plane crash at the age of 28. In a very short span of life, he made a major impact on what we now call contemporary worship music. He also did a lot evangelism. Karen sent me a page online so I could read some of his quotes, and this was one of them that fit with what I just talked about.
“You know, I look around at the world and I see all the beauty that God made. I see the forest and the trees and all the things. And it says in the Bible that He made them in six days, and I don’t know if they’re a literal six days or not. Scientists would say no; some theologians would say yes; it doesn’t matter to me. But I know that Jesus Christ has been preparing a home for me, and for some of you, for two thousand years. And if this world took six days, and that home took two thousand years, … this is living in a garbage can compared to what’s going up there.”
A "garbage can"?!? How could he call this living in a garbage can? It's beautiful here. Just look around. I know that may be hard to grasp, but if we think about it; deep down inside, we know he is right. To be in the presence of God, in all His glory, and to share that with all of heaven....
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