Tag Archives: Needs

What Do Your Prayers Look Like?

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Are You Willing To Be Honest?

Are you willing to take a good, hard look at your prayer life? What do your prayers consist of? Are they consumed with requests? Are they filled with pleas for God to change your circumstances—make your life easier, help you earn more money at your job, or provide a new job altogether? What if none of that is God’s will for your life? Have you ever considered that? Have you ever considered that, for reasons beyond your ability to comprehend, it might not be God’s will to heal the person you’re praying for? Have you considered that, in God’s eternal plans for His glory and your good, it might not be His will for you to get the job you’ve always wanted?

The Proper Motive For Prayer

The only proper motive for prayer is God’s will. In Jesus’ model prayer, He taught His disciples to pray, “…your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Perhaps the implication is that, rather than praying for God to change our circumstances, we ought to pray that God would use the circumstances to change us. Not until after Jesus taught the disciples to pray for God’s will does He turn His attention to praying for their individual needs. Only after submitting to God’s will in prayer does He teach them to pray, “…give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). There is so much we could say about the simplicity of that prayer request: just give us what we need today. That’s it. Don’t borrow tomorrow’s trouble. Just ask for the Father’s provision today—and leave it there.

God Already Knows What We Need

Earlier in the same text, Jesus said, “When you pray, don’t babble like the idolaters, since they imagine they’ll be heard for their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:7). Don’t babble lengthy prayers about your needs, Jesus said, because the Father already knows. Then Jesus turns His attention to praying for others. Again, this is a model prayer. “When you pray, pray like this,” He said. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). In other words, pray that God would forgive you in the same way that you forgive others. Be so thankful for the Father’s forgiveness that you forgive others in the same way He forgave you—totally, completely.

God’s Absolute Forgiveness

There is nothing anyone has ever done to you that could compare to the quantity and level of depravity with which you’ve sinned against God. And yet, He forgave you. It’s not until we are truly thankful for His absolute forgiveness that we are truly able to forgive others. After He finished teaching the disciples how to pray, He shared these sobering words with them: “For if you forgive people their wrongdoing, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. But if you don’t forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing” (Matthew 6:14–15). In essence, He’s telling them to take a hard look at themselves. If they’re unable to forgive others, it’s evidence that they may never have been forgiven themselves.
 

True Generosity Serves Others

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In God’s Economy

We typically think of “generosity” in financial terms, don’t we? But, in God’s economy, generosity is shown in more than financial ways! In the book of Proverbs, the Spirit of God inspired King Solomon to include these words:  “A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water” (Proverbs 11:25). God intends for us to understand generosity as being about more than our finances! It’s not just about our money! According to this Proverb, God also measures generosity in the ways we serve others. He measures generosity by our willingness to minister and help others.

Throwing Money At A Need

In the world, there’s a tendency to just throw money at a need. Rather than getting their hands dirty, the person who has the financial means would rather gift someone or an organization. Unfortunately, that same attitude can often be found in the church too! Many would rather “gift” it than get dirty through service or ministry to others! But, that’s NOT God’s economy! The Message paraphrases Proverbs 11:25 like this: “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” God measures our generosity by our willingness to serve and by our willingness to enrich the lives of others by ministering to them. By offering something, Solomon says, as simple as a glass of water. It’s that same principle that Jesus taught, of being “others focused.”

The Mindset Of A Consumer

Unfortunately, it’s typical in our American church culture to look for a church that serves “me”! To look for a church that serves “my kids”! That’s the mindset of a “consumer,” isn’t it? And, it’s a way of thinking that is foreign to Scripture and to the church in other parts of the world, where they look for a church that has needs so they can serve the faith community! Faith’s way of serving is to look for needs and meet them! Faith’s way of serving actually prays that God’s Spirit will open eyes to those needs and open hearts to actually meet them! As with your finances, don’t “calculate” how God might move others to serve you if you serve them! That’s serving out of GREED! And, just like God will not bless a greedy giver financially, He’ll not bless a greedy server either! He gave to us in love and we must give the same!      

Serve Recklessly

The principle in Scripture is kind of like this— just serve and minister to the needs of others with reckless abandon! By faith, believe that God will keep His Word! Believe that, whether it’s by sacrificial giving or service, that God is going to reward you. You might be rewarded in this life! Or, your reward might be received in heaven! At the same time, though we know the reward is coming, don’t give to get! Just be generous, in faith, that God will take care of you! When we give from a generous heart, it truly costs you nothing! You lose nothing in the exchange! You gain! You get richer the more you give! It’s counter-cultural! Jesus said:  “Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life BECAUSE OF ME will FIND IT.”
 

How To Measure Generosity

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Not Naturally A Generous Man

I confess to you that I’m not naturally a very generous man. I mean, by that, that I’m prone to be selfish! It is seldom my 1st inclination to give financially to meet a need. I have to be prompted by God’s indwelling Holy Spirit. His Spirit prods me to commit a generous “act”; but, constant generosity just doesn’t flow instinctively from me. It’s not one of my gifts! So, I’ve had to ask the Lord to plant generous thoughts in my heart.  I remember one time, during a worship service, that I felt the Lord elbow me to give the bill in my wallet to whatever ministry was participating in our service. When I opened my wallet I saw that it contained a $100 bill— now, I want you to know that’s not a regular thing with me— but, that day I had a $100 bill; and, in front of it a $20 bill. “Lord, certainly you mean for me to give that $20 bill, right?” But, I felt a very distinct impression that He wanted me to give the $100 bill; so, reluctantly, I did! Through the years I’ve felt similarly pressed to give, sometimes more & sometimes less.

I’ve Never Missed What I’ve Given

But, here’s my testimony— I’ve never missed what I’ve given! It has always been absorbed by God’s abundant generosity; so, I’ve always had enough! Here’s what I hope to get across to you in this post— when you give, from a generous heart, it costs you nothing! In other words, you won’t lose what you give away! But, the person who hoards & selfishly holds onto his money, when the offering plate is passed, tends toward poverty! That person lives with the constant struggle to make ends meet. “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water” Proverbs 11:24-25. To paraphrase, using The Message, “The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.” God measures our generosity by our sacrifice! That doesn’t make sense to the unbelieving world. The world says, “If I want to have more, I have to KEEP more.” But, that’s not true in God’s economy— ”If I want to have more, I have to give it away!”    

You Can’t Out-give God

There’s a principle here that says you can’t out-give God! Now be careful here! Don’t draw an unbiblical conclusion like those who twist Scripture & preach a “Health, Wealth, and Prosperity Gospel.” God is NOT an investment broker! Don’t expect to put a $100 bill in the offering plate & get $1000 back. Giving that way is not generosity, it’s GREED! The God who knows our heart also knows the motives behind our giving! He measures our generosity by what we sacrifice to give; and, it’s not a sacrifice when we expect to get something back! No, it’s the world of the generous that gets “larger” and “larger.” It might be extra cash in your pocket; but, probably not! Like God extending the life of the Israelite’s robes & sandals to last 40 years in the wilderness, He may bless us with the extended life of our appliances & vehicles & health!
 

God Loves Generosity

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A Cheerful Giver

To quote the words of the Apostle Paul, to the Church of Corinth, accurately, “…God loves a cheerful giver…” 2 Corinthians 9:7.  God is generous! He gives us everything we “need,” the Scripture says; and, an awful lot of our “wants” also! He is a good God! And, He expects that we will become more and more generous as we are sanctified & made a new creation in the image of His generous Son, Jesus! And, He has those expectations, of us, with good reason— He has given us His Holy Spirit to indwell us & change us! That means we can give “in the flesh”— giving sparingly or reluctantly! Or, we can give “in the Spirit”— to give willingly & generously & cheerfully as a work of the Spirit in our life! Generous giving is the supernatural work of God’s indwelling Spirit!

God As A Giver

That “in the flesh” attitude comes from a belief that God is a TAKER rather than a GIVER! If we believe that God is a TAKER, we’ll also give sparingly & reluctantly! We’ll see His requirements of a tithe & offering as taking away something that’s “MINE”; or, something “I’ve WORKED for.” But if, in our heart, we see God as a GIVER we’ll see all our financial blessings as coming from God; not, from ourselves! Our financial decisions ultimately reveal what we think about God! God is a GIVER! That is His nature! He gave life to Adam & Eve. He gave them a beautiful garden home! He gave them a choice! And, when they made the wrong choice & sinned against Him, He gave His Son— because, “God so loved the world that He GAVE His only Son…”

A 2nd Chance At Redemption

So, He gave the world a 2nd chance at redemption through Jesus & the Cross! And, as followers of Jesus, He gives to us so we can be a blessing; and, give to others! This is an amazing truth from God’s Word! Whether you’re rich, by the world’s standards; or, poor like the widow who gave her mite, God has given us our stuff to make givers out of us. That’s exactly what Paul told the Church of Corinth:  “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance [or: make every grace abound to you] so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work” 2 Corinthians 9:8. Get that? God gives us what we have so we can be generous!

It’s All His Anyway

He gives us enough, so, that if we manage it rightly, we’ll have what we need to be GIVERS! Now, the implication is that if we say we don’t have enough to give, we’re mismanaging what He’s given us! Or, God’s Word is incorrect! Paul actually expands on this in v.10—  “…the One (GOD) who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” In other words, God gives on BOTH sides of our giving! He gives us “seed” before we give; and, He multiplies it & provides a harvest for all the righteous deeds we can do concerning giving! That’s God’s promise! He gives all of us what we need to BE GIVERS! Though, in His Sovereignty, He may give more to some than to others; so, that they can give MORE! But, we’ve all been GIVEN to GIVE! That brings God glory!
 

God Uses Us To Grow Each Other

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The Work Of Christ

God intends that the church of Christ would do the work of Christ! But, NOT in the strength of our flesh! “The Spirit gives life; and the flesh counts for nothing” (John 6:63) Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to indwell us when He completed His work on the cross & returned to the Father after His resurrection! He indwells us to empower us as God’s ambassadors; so, that He might reconcile the spiritually dead with the Savior; and, disciple them into the faith!

We Who Are Strong

Paul, inspired by God’s Holy Spirit, showed the Church of Rome what that looks like: “We who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us must please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please Himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult You have fallen on Me. For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with a united mind and voice” (Romans 15:1-6). I can’t think of a better summary statement for that Scripture than something like this— never look down on anyone else unless you are reaching down to help them up!

Defer To The Needs Of Others

Paul’s charge, here, is to humble yourselves & to defer to the needs of others in the body; and, he uses Jesus as THE example! No one has ever humbled Himself more than Jesus! So, here’s the bottom line: God intends to use us— as local church faith communities— to help produce spiritual growth & maturity in the rest of the body! So, when we’re disinterested or disengaged from one another, we actually become a hindrance to the spiritual work in others, that Jesus intends to do through us. To begin with, the process is just as simple as willingly putting up with each other: “…bear with the weaknesses of those without strength…” (v.1) In other words, we’re not just here to please ourselves! We’re here to serve others! Even as His time to take up the cross for the sin of the world was drawing near, He still served His disciples by a selfless act of foot-washing. He concluded by instructing them: “I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” John 13:15

Be Tolerant Of One Another

If we can’t tolerate the different personalities; or, the different stages of spiritual growth that we’re all at; then, we’re not useable for God’s purposes. Paul’s use of the terms “strong” & “weak” is relative— I am “strong” in comparison to my 4 grandchildren; but, I am “weak” in comparison to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, right? So it is spiritually! We can all find someone, in our faith community, who is stronger than we are spiritually; and, someone else who is weaker. Notice, when considering that, that Paul doesn’t command the weak to “SHAPE UP”; but, he does command the strong to “PUT UP.” To “BEAR” with the weaknesses of others means “to endure patiently; to indulge.” We need Holy Spirit help to be longsuffering & patient with each other! That’s how God intends to grow YOU & those He expects you to tolerate!

Daniel: Take Time To Love People

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(Note: This is the 7th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

TAKING SOME TIME OFF FOR VACATION! NEXT POST JULY 26

Taking Time For Others

When Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to kill all his counselors & wisemen because they were unable to tell the King what he had dreamed, something significant happened that can easily be overlooked. The text says that Daniel came to Arioch, the King’s executioner; and, it implies that he came in a hurry & he tells him:  “Don’t kill the wise men of Babylon!” (See Daniel 2:24-26) Why is that significant? Because Daniel— rather than simply fearing for his own life— took time to look out for the needs of others!

Doctrine Changes Your Life

Daniel truly believed that God was Sovereign; so, he didn’t have to fear the future! That’s how “doctrine” changes your life when you truly believe it! We said, in our last post, that the King suffered from “chronophobia”; or the FEAR of the future! And, when you’re consumed by the fear of the future, you become preoccupied with your own life. It was easy for Nebuchadnezzar to just throw away his counselors and discard them once he’d tapped their usefulness. But, because Daniel didn’t live in fear of the future, he could take the time to love people.

Preoccupation With Self

I believe that this act of kindness is a significant part of Daniel’s story that we usually overlook! Daniel could have been concerned only with his life & the lives of his 3 friends; but instead, he showed care and concern for others— even the King’s ungodly counselors; because they were souls who needed saving! He wasn’t so preoccupied with his own needs that he ignored the needs of others. There’s an application here for us! If we live in fear of the future, we’ll probably be so preoccupied with ourselves that we’ll miss all the souls that God is directing across our path! And, King Nebuchadnezzar was one such soul that God had caused to divinely intersect with Daniel.

We All Have 24 Hours In A Day

In the next section, it says, “Daniel answered the king:  ‘No wise man, medium, diviner-priest, or astrologer is able to make known to the king the mystery he asked about. But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries…” (2:27-29). There is a God in heaven; and, Daniel took the time to introduce Nebuchadnezzar to Him! “Time”— something our culture claims it doesn’t have enough of! And yet, we all have 24 hours a day. Everyone has the same amount of time in their day, to do what God intends for them to do! Daniel used the time he had wisely!

We Need To Get Over Ourselves

There’s another application here that our Western church desperately needs to apply— if we’re going to be faithful to Jesus’ “Great Commission”, it’s going to take time! Time to love people! Time to disciple people! The “Narcissism” of the dominant culture has had a “trickle-down effect” on the Church— we’ve become self-centered & self-absorbed just like the world! Our obsession with chasing after the selfishness of the “American Dream” has become a NIGHTMARE for finishing the “disciple-making” task we’ve been given! If we’re TOO BUSY to make disciples, we’re TOO BUSY! That’s disobedience! If necessary, let’s remove some of the things from our schedule so we have room to add people! We’ve been mandated to disciple souls for Christ; and, He’s left us no wiggle room to get out of it! Let us love people well by truly getting deep in our relationship with them so that we might use the time to disciple them for Christ!

The Church: Designed To Change Us

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Building Each Other Up

Jesus never intended that we would “lone wolf” the Christian life as an individual! Rather, He planned to use the local church “community” to sanctify and change us! If you have doubts, just read Paul’s letter to the Church of Ephesus; especially, chapter 4. It was NOT his intent that we view “the Church” as some “universal body” out there somewhere! He spoke to the body of faith that made up that specific local Church of Ephesus. In v.16 he tells this church that it’s the “WHOLE BODY” that ministers to the “WHOLE BODY.” And, he says that spiritual growth happens in the corporate life of the church when all the individual members are working together properly—  “In LOVE, building each other up!”

Smoothing Out Our Rough Edges

The “each other” referred to the believers in the Church of Ephesus; not, some “universal church” on the other side of planet Earth. We can pray for believers on the other side of the planet; but, it’s simply impossible to build up believers in their faith with whom we have no physical contact or interaction! Jesus intends to use all the different people, with their diverse personalities & traits, to change us! He uses the difficult people, the annoying people, the “special grace” people, and, the sinful people to smooth out our rough— and, sometimes sinful— edges! “From Him, the whole (“local church”) body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the (“local church”) body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part (of the “local church”)” v.16.  It is by our unique, diverse, spiritual experiences, with God, that together— as a “local church”— we have the opportunity to provide rich counsel & support to each other!

Mutual Support Within The Body

For the one struggling with alcohol addiction, there are believers, in the body, who’ve been delivered from it! For the one struggling with sexual sin, there are believers, in the body, who are winning that battle with the Spirit’s help! So, there’s someone who will stand with you & encourage you in the fight! For those who admit they are a gossip; or, a liar; or, have anger issues; or, a cursing tongue; or, they’re bitter— someone in the local church body has been there; or, they’re fighting the same battle; and, together there’s mutual support! The illustration of the church as a “body” is a perfect example of how the church is supposed to work. What do you do if you cut yourself? Or if you sprain an ankle? The rest of your body comes to the rescue, right? You don’t just leave the cut finger to itself; to get infected! You bandage it! You wrap the sprained ankle so it’ll heal!

There’s An App For That

Jesus designed the Church to be a body, a community, or a family, that meets one another’s needs! Someone, in the local church family, has either overcome the sin you are struggling with; and, can offer support; or, someone is fighting the same battle & together you can keep each other accountable & see God do a sanctification work in your lives!  In summary, here’s what Paul is telling the local Church of Ephesus: God makes us stronger “collectively” than we will ever be “individually.” It’s the lone ranger sheep, not engaged in the community life of the Church, that the wolf goes after! He’s easy prey! Now, perhaps you are wondering where you can find this kind of church! I’m afraid they are few; and, far between! Pray! Ask God’s Spirit to direct you! Search out this kind of church; and, BE that kind of church member! God Bless!

God’s High Regard For His Name

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A Humanly Impossible Situation

There’s a great Bible read, in 2 Chronicles 14, about a “good” king named Asa. That’s significant because Israel & Judah had a lot of “bad” kings.  Asa, however, “…did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God…” v.2 says.  But, as God often does, in the lives of His saints, He uses “trouble” to grow their faith. In v.8, we read that “…Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin…”; and, then “trouble” shows up! It says that “…Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and 300 chariots…” Do the math! Judah found itself in a mismatch; a humanly impossible situation!

It Is Nothing For You To Help

And, what was King Asa’s response? “Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, ‘LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD,  You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’” v.11.  Why is it our tendency to make prayer our last resort? It is our general predisposition to try & work things out in our wisdom 1st.  We have this penchant for gritting our teeth; and, trying to work things out in our own strength! Only after we’ve exhausted all human resources do we finally pray about it! 

A Prayer That Get’s God’s Attention

Why?  Are we afraid we’re bothering God? Maybe we’re waking Him up? Scripture says, “…He never sleeps, He never slumbers…” (Psalms 121:4-5) I want to challenge you to go back to v.11 and reread Asa’s prayer.  Asa provides us with a model prayer for getting God’s attention! While his prayer was about his “circumstances,” it wasn’t really about his “circumstances”! It was a prayer about GOD! It was a prayer expressing concern for God’s Glory! “This battle isn’t about me God,” to paraphrase Asa’s prayer,  “It’s about YOU! There’s no one besides You!  You help those without strength!  We depend on You!  Your NAME is at stake here! Don’t let a mere mortal hinder You!”

His Glory Is Magnified In Our Weakness

God DOES NOT help those who help themselves! You’re deceived if you think that statement has any basis in Scripture.  It’s s human LIE! A fabrication! God helps those who are weak & depend upon Him! Asa understood that God’s ultimate purpose in everything He does is to magnify His glory! And His glory is magnified when weak, needy people admit that they are weak & needy; and go to Him for help! He is glorified when we confess our weakness, and we turn to Him where He can show Himself strong on our behalf!

God’s Glory: Our Greatest Concern

So, how do you define God’s “Glory”? It’s kind of like His “BEAUTY.” God’s glory is in the “BEAUTY” of His perfection; in His character; and His moral excellence! “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” James 1:13. God’s highest purpose is to preserve & display His infinite, awesome greatness & worth. That’s His GLORY! There is NOTHING of higher value! If God should have a greater affection for anything He created, He would be unjust— He’d be an idolater!  So, here’s the principle— King Asa prayed right because his greatest concern was for God’s GLORY; not, for victory in this battle!  Our prayers should always be a request for God to bring GLORY to Himself through His answer! His GLORY, through the answer, is more important than our need! May we humbly accept this truth!

When Good Things Become Bad Things

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Passionate For God & Others

I appreciate believers that are “free thinkers”; who, think outside the box; and challenge the way things have always been done! Not with a spirit of rebellion; but, brothers & sisters, in Christ, that are just passionate for God; and, passionate for the souls of men! And, they’re always questioning whether there’s a better way to do God’s work more effectively and with a greater degree of success. I’m talking about men & women given to prayer; who, are begging God for wisdom to do His work His way! Followers, of Jesus, who aren’t trapped by the traditions of men; even, traditions of the church that can be elevated to a place of idolatry & prominence above the Word of God, if not viewed carefully!

The Mirror Of God’s Word

It’s time to look at ourselves through the mirror of God’s Word, church! It’s time to ask ourselves the tough questions; to, investigate whether we’ve gotten off course; if, we’ve wandered away from the wisdom of God, and settled for something less than the best of God’s plans for us! Because all the good things we do can become bad things when they take the place of God’s best; and when our motive is less than pure and holy!  The Apostle Paul called out the Church of Corinth for using their gifts in ministry, only when they could be seen prominently!  The praise of men can be intoxicating! Jesus noted that many religious leaders, of His day, prayed when they could be heard in public; and, fasted only to be seen by men; and, gave money if honored for it!

Guarding Against False Motives

We all have to guard against false motives when doing our ministry! Are there certain things that are “beneath us” because no one would see us? The Apostle John, in 1 John 3:16-18, says that our ministry is properly focused when it’s motivated by a love for Christ; and, a love for others! Jesus’ ministry was others-focused— “love” for the Father above all; but also a “love” for humanity crushed by sin! Good things also become bad things, for the Church, when they are given priority over Jesus’ mandate to “…make disciples…” That is our sole purpose for existence! That has to be the grid through which we make all our decisions, Church! If that’s not how we do ministry, the “tyranny of good things” will rule instead! We can do a lot of “good things” disobediently because we fail to do the things that Scripture clearly calls us to do!

Are We Living Like A Pharisee?

Like the Pharisees, we can become guilty of doing good things for “vainglory.” Praise can be intoxicating! And, while our motive for doing good things may be out of service at the start, it can quickly turn into a desire to receive the praises of men! That is vainglory! It’s always been man’s way, since “the Fall”, to form our own rules; and, ask God to bless them! Like the Pharisees, in Jesus’ day, we wanna play god! We’ve organized our churches as if God exists to meet our needs & cater to our comforts! Our discussions often revolve around what we want rather than what He wills! It’s time to repent; and, come home to the Father, Church! It’s time to admit how prone we are to exalt our work over God’s will; and, our dreams over God’s desires; and, our plans over God’s priorities! God’s blessing only comes to His Church when we live to make Him known among the nations! Let’s be faithful disciple-makers! That’s our calling!

The Humility Of Christ

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-We’re Usually So Full Of Ourselves!

For Jesus, to become a man was the most humbling experience God could ever endure! How foolish we are when we lift ourselves in pride as though we were really something! We won’t grasp how insignificant it is to be human unless we see ourselves as God’s image bearers! We are usually so full of ourselves; so self-centered & self-absorbed; and narcissistic, that we just don’t get the reality of our existence. Jesus’ humility, however, went way beyond lowering Himself to become a man! He died the most humiliating death ever devised to kill a criminal— Crucifixion! The pain was excruciating & the public shame beyond comprehension.

-Jesus Humiliated Himself To Serve Us!

It was especially true for this one, Who was God! For, He had created the very tree that was used to crucify Him. He humiliated Himself in order to serve us at our greatest point of need—we desperately needed a Savior because we could not possibly save ourselves! So, as we’ve talked about being Gospel lights over the last several posts, we will shine as we let God’s Holy Spirit change our attitude to the mind of Jesus Christ; even if that means humiliation in the service of others! And, church, that will only happen as we live in search of God’s approval! We will only shine as Gospel lights to our city as we seek the approval of God alone!

-We Were Created To Bring God Glory!

That was Jesus’ attitude—pleasing the Father! “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death” Philippians 2:8. And, because of His obedience to the Father’s will, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (vs.9-11). Edward Welch wrote a great little book titled “When People Are Big & God Is Small.” In it, he reflects on how broken & distorted is the image of God that we reflect because of our sin. We were created to bring HIM glory! We were designed with certain “needs” and “desires” that only God can fulfill. But, when we replace that “God-Shaped vacuum” in our life with the created things in this world, we take glory away from God & transfer it to that thing that becomes an idol! And, because of our sinful brokenness, it can be so easy to be caught up in idolatry; and not even be aware!

-We Need Jesus’ Attitude!

We need the attitude of Christ! Because He willingly left His throne in Heaven! Because He took the form of a slave! Because He lived His entire life here solely for our benefit! Because He stopped & lowered Himself even to the humiliating death on a cross to serve our needs! And, because of all of that, God has highly exalted Him & given Him a name above every name! In fact, that word in v.9 literally means “super exalted.” God super exalted Jesus! This is the only place in Scripture that that word is used! Everything Jesus did was for God’s glory! And, our attitude is most like Jesus when we are God-Centered in everything we do! Casting aside our personal agendas! Letting “Christ In Us” restore the image of God that we were created to reflect! God uses the church that is full of people who live their lives like that! He uses them for His glory! We need to pray that way! That God will transform our churches to live like that!