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 elbowed 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. 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:
Luke
6:32-42 Message
“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,
helped 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.
James
1:22-27 ESV
“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, going 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 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 others 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 with 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 | Blogger | Life & Biz Coach
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”
