Growing up with a parent who was a public servant was hard at times. As a child, I didn’t think it was always fair. It was tough overhearing the slander and gossip that people were saying about my father. Some spoke their minds in front of me, not even knowing who I was, until someone would elbow them. Other people knew who I was and would go on with their rant, hoping I would tell my parents what they were saying. I hardly ever told my parents anything because I felt like I had a responsibility to protect my father, as if that was for me to shoulder as a child.
As I grew into adulthood, I began to appreciate what my
father was doing in his public service. He was an honest person, shot straight
with people, faced fears that most would never ever consider doing, and throughout
his career, he would talk about his faith to those who would ask and would
listen. He treated criminals as people and with respect. He had dedicated
himself to serve, protect and to help make other’s lives a little bit better.
How could I ever be resentful for the differences he had made in so many lives during
his career!
But his dedicated service didn’t end when he retired from his
position as police chief. His wonderful attitude toward Christian service
continued on. He started his own business which gave him more flexibility as to
who he could share his faith with. I remember at his funeral, several of his
clients came and spoke very highly of him to me. Mind you, most of these people
were not Christians and were leading some colorful lives. But they showed up to
a Christian funeral and learned even more about this wonderful man that they had considered their friend.
Dad served in his church as a Deacon, sang in the choir,
played his violin at church, and served in outreach. As you read in my book, “It
Is What It Is”, he would invite and take a prostitute’s children to church with
him. He would bang on the parked trains downtown and bring the homeless to a Sunday
breakfast and sermon at church. He was fearless for the Lord. And he served
until his body could no longer!
I chose this following passage for us to look at because I
feel that it describes my father’s devoted Christian service:
“32 If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back?
Run-of-the-mill sinners do that.
33 If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal?
Garden-variety sinners do that.
34 If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you
think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.
35 "I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without
expecting a return. You'll never - I promise - regret it. Live out this
God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and
graciously, even when we're at our worst.
36 Our Father is kind; you be kind.
37 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize
their faults - unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don't condemn
those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you'll find
life a lot easier.
38 Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not
merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is
the way. Generosity begets generosity."
39 He quoted a proverb: "'Can a blind man guide a blind man?'
Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch?
40 An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be
careful who you follow as your teacher.
41 "It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be
oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own.
42 Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,'
when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this I-know-better-than-you
mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your
own part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer
a washcloth to your neighbor.”
This is how he lived his life. He loved the unlovable, help
without expecting something in return, gave freely, was kind, and put his life
on the line to help people he didn’t know. Most would have considered his life
of Christian service a bit scary, just like his career was, but Dad saw value
in all people, and he considered it worth the risk. Whether they were a
prostitute, a prostitute’s child, a homeless person, or a life-time criminal,
it didn’t matter.
According to James 1:22-27, Christian service is a must. Let’s
examine this passage.
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a
man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself
and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into
the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who
forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. If anyone thinks
he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this
person's religion is worthless...”
To
ask God to bless your life while you disobey His word is an unrealistic
request. James is saying that the doers of the Word will be blessed for their
actions.
In
this passage James is addressing only the church goers. They were observing all
the rituals and outward commands such as baptisms, communion, went to church, and
were morally sound. But they weren’t getting to the heart of the faith.
To
hear the word without doing it leads to self-deception (1:22-24, 26). Only hearing the word without applying
it changes the whole purpose for God giving it to us.
James gives
three warnings in this passage:
1.
Hearers-only of
the word take a quick glance, and don’t do anything to fix what they see. The Word
will reveal to us our hearts and will show us our ugliness. We must have a
deliberate focus with deliberate actions in order to fix the problems that we see.
2. Hearers-only of
the Word forget what they hear. Sometimes, we simply have poor priorities, and
other things become more important. The Word will help us remember God’s
benefits, abundant kindness, his mighty works, the Savior, and will help us to
stay in the Word.
3.
Hearers-only end
up deceiving themselves. The person can end up thinking that they are religious
and fall into the prideful outward trappings of the faith. They do not apply the
Word to their hearts making their religion worthless.
And then
there is this. Bridling the tongue. If you do not bridle the tongue and profess
to follow Christ and don’t even apply the Bible to your speech, you are only
fooling yourself. Keep the tongue from lying, telling half-truths, slander,
gossip, angry words, filthy talk and cussing.
To hear the Word
and to do what is says, leads to blessing (1:25,27).
The blessed hearer
and doer will look closely at the Word, apply the Word to his heart, will
continue to apply the Word to his heart, and will apply the Word so that it
changes conduct and character in the sight of God.
Making this 18" shift from the brain (knowledge only) to the heart (becoming a doer) will help us
to see other’s through Jesus’ eyes so that we can love the unlovable and freely
give of ourselves to help others.
How many
times have we heard a sermon, only to walk out and forget the next day what it
was about? We were not able to apply what we learned to our lives.
And how many
times have we heard a sermon and thought, “Oh, I wish so-n-so was here to hear
this”, or “I know a whole bunch of people who needed to hear that sermon today”
overlooking and excusing ourselves to the fact that we need to change our own hearts
and actions.
We are not supposed
to apply the Word to others. When we are given a clear message from the Word, we
need to seek how to apply it to our own life. What do we need to change or fix?
We must remember what the Word is saying to us and what it has for us to learn
less we end up fooling ourselves.
The applied
Word results in selfless conduct and will take the focus off self and onto
others. The applied Word will cause you to think of other’s needs, will help
you to apply the golden rule, and will cause a heart shift. You will begin to
honor God with your heart.
We can receive
the rich blessings of God by applying the Word to our hearts and by taking the necessary actions in changing our own selves. When we do this, we will serve others from a genuinely
caring heart that doesn’t make judgements or looks for something in return.
~ We Rise by Lifting Others Up.
Debra Lee, Author & Key-Note Speaker
From the lecture series for “Making Wise Choices” Bible Study
“It Is What It Is…but it wasn’t a tragedy”
“Making Wise Choices…The Most Important Life Skill To Master”
