Peripatetics: The Art of Walking
Monday, October 18, 2004
It appears to be backwards. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve...that old Mark 10:45 deal. I mean, He's God. He came out of heaven. Of all places to come out of, to start life as a baby and then serve a fallen humanity by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice.
Definitely backwards to our way of thinking. Why would we leave any cushy place to help out a bunch of people we don't know?
But that's the nature of Psalm 123. It starts with the psalmist looking toward heaven, looking to Him for help. The reality, that I say over and over again, is that He is God and we aren't Him. When we need help, God is in heaven, ready to give it to us.
We're servant-like. Waiting for the master's orders. Like handmaidens watching their ladies.
And serving Him can make our life more abundant.
Sure, it seems backwards when you think about it. Why would I leave my cushy suburban home to spend a week living in army tent conditions (which, frankly, are better than the homes of the people we serve) for 6 days to build a modest shelter for the homeless in Juarez?
Why would I give up a weekend of my life, and pay $15 for van rental, to go do kitchen work and grunt work for a Christian camp for free?
Why would I be willing to hang around in the lobby of our church (when I could be hanging out with friends) to help a bunch of middle raise money, and then go walk with those middle schoolers on Halloween, just so a local charity can provide food for the needy on Thanksgiving?
The key is found in the last part of verse 2 and the begining of verse 3. You'll see the word "gracious" used three times. (Some translations use "mercy" but the application is unaffected) Because God is so gracious to me, then I have the freedom to be joyfully gracious to others.
That's why I can spend a week of my life in barrios in Juarez, raising money beforehand...and maybe someone will ask the homeowner how they got the house and lead someone else to Christ. That's why I can keep camp costs down by providing the camp with free labor...and some kids might come to know Jesus because it was $30 bucks cheaper because we did so. That's why someone in hard times might get a meal and have one day to avoid worrying about their next meal because our teenagers purchased because they cared enough to walk 5 miles and raise part of the money to make it happen.
And, a couple of side benefits as a reality: Discipleship without service leads to pride. My senior pastor said that. I agree. If you sit in classes and learn and sponge for years and years and years without ever serving, you'll become prideful. Credence to that is given in verses 3 & 4...note the words used to describe the comfortable.
One other side benefit is a truly more abundant life.
In Mexico, I've watched someone weep uncontrollably when 17 teenagers hand over the keys to a new home. That home might be the size of one of our living rooms, but it's home, and it isn't a cardboard box. To put that in perspective...what would you be doing if you woke up one day, a work crew shows up and does a full-blown home makeover and then gives you the HOME with no strings attached, no payments to make and you'd never see the work crew members again? To watch that joy in someone else makes my life better.
To watch a kid being led to Christ on a bench outside a cabin at a fall camp retreat is an incredible experience, too. In fact, the incident I'm thinking of actually involved one of the teens I took to work in the kitchen, and she led one of the campers to Christ right then and there while we were on break. That kid who became a Christian went and was a part of the servant weekend we recently went on. You don't think that makes life more abundant?
To watch teenagers having a great time by asking for donations/playfully harassing our congregation trying to raise money for their service project made me laugh. There were bullhorns. There were marketing ploys ("If you donate to the 7th grade guys, all your wildest dreams will come true."). There were honest exchanges about the nature of the ministry. The body of Christ was in action, and it was sharpening our teenagers.
An abundant life involves service, and that is crucial in taking Bible knowledge from your head to your heart.
Brent 7:23 AM
Comments:
You're darn right that the 7th grade guys will make your wildest dreams come true.
Thanks for doing this blog Brent, it is a great tool
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Thanks for doing this blog Brent, it is a great tool
