A True Servant

“But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

~ Mark 10:43-45

The institutional church’s idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ’s idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others. Jesus Christ actually “out-socialized” the socialists. He said that in His kingdom the greatest one would be the servant of all (see Matthew 23:11). The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciples’ feet— that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. It was Paul’s delight to spend his life for God’s interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. But before we will serve, we stop to ponder our personal and financial concerns— “What if God wants me to go over there? And what about my salary? What is the climate like there? Who will take care of me? A person must consider all these things.” All that is an indication that we have reservations about serving God. But the apostle Paul had no conditions or reservations. Paul focused his life on Jesus Christ’s idea of a New Testament saint; that is, not one who merely proclaims the gospel, but one who becomes broken bread and poured-out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for the sake of others.

~ from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest, February 25

Some Thoughts on Listening

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From Oswald Chambers My Utmost for His Highest (updated edition)
Excerpts from February 12, 13, and 14

"We don't consciously and deliberately disobey God, we simply don't listen to Him. God has given his commands to us but we pay no attention to them, not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him.'If you love Me, keep My commandments' (John 14:15)."

"Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says...Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord's this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don't even hear Him."

"Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood, darkness is the time to listen. Don't talk to other people about it...If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying."
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God is Speaking

...Don't say to yourself, "But God is not talking to me right now." He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.
--Section of February 11 from Oswald Chamber's
'My Utmost for His Highest' (Revised Edition)

Openness and Drawing on God

Near the beginning of the year, I started reading the devotional book "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers (the revised edition). I have enjoyed all the readings, but several spoke to me more clearly. Below I have posted parts of one of the readings. (Since these are sentences from a whole reading, it may not make sense without context).

Sometimes we feel fresh and eager to attend a prayer meeting, but do we feel that same freshness for such mundane tasks as polishing shoes?...Jealously guard your relationship with God...Keep your whole life continually open to Jesus Christ. Don't pretend to be open with Him. Are you drawing your life from any source other than God Himself?... from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost for His Highest", January 20