January 2015 Archives
Servanthood
This is another trait that I do not excel in but I love watching it in action. It seems to me to be the epitome of Christianity. Jesus said that He came to serve, not to be served. I personally like to be served but that is not why God put me here on earth. It is not all about me.
I was talking with a lady yesterday who is always opening her home to others, organizing gatherings, etc. She mentioned that no one ever offers to help; they just comment on how this lady and her family do such a great job. This happens way too often in the Church. It’s easy to leave hard work to the pastor or church leaders because, after all, that’s their job or it’s what they are paid to do. Servanthood is not a gift, however; it is a calling for every Believer.
You may deal with insecurity as I do, thinking that there is no practical way you can serve others or maybe you feel like everyone else is better at doing things than you are. I guarantee you, though, that if you ask God to show you ways that you can be more of a servant, He will show you and teach you how to do so effectively. Don’t underestimate the blessing that you can be if you will lay aside your inhibitions and allow God to use you. Most people are not going to criticize genuine works of love, even if not done perfectly. And as you begin to serve in small ways, you will begin to be more confident and see more ways that you can practically serve others.
If you are one who tends to sit back and let everyone else do all the work, begin to pray about a place of servanthood that you can fill. If you are one who is getting burnt out because you are always the one pouring out, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It’s possible that others are willing to help; they just haven’t considered the fact that you need help or they may be afraid to admit that they don’t know what to do. Some just need a mentor to guide them.
I am not an expert on this topic and, as I mentioned, this is an area that I definitely need to grow in but I am trusting God to open my eyes to things I can do and to help me to grow in this area. I trust that you will pray about this too.
Self-Control
Self-control is a fruit of the spirit I don’t hear much about. In my Bible study the other night, I was reminded of how many areas are encompassed in this one character trait.
America has become a feel-good society. “If it feels good, do it” was the slogan of the hippies but many still have that mentality today. We have comfort food, promiscuous sex, rampant gossip, etc. (James 3 has a lot to say about the tongue and is worth taking the time to read.)
Whatever we do in word or deed, we are told to do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31). There are also things God has told us not to do which all centers around living for self. Once we become children of God, our lives become His. Everything we do, say, and think are to reflect Him. If we are constantly feeding our flesh, we are not going to reflect our Father but instead are the antithesis of Him.
If there is one fruit that a lot of us don’t possess, it is this one but I feel like it is key to all the others. If you can master self-control, I believe love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, etc. will begin to exhibit itself. This is an area I am still working on. I pray for God’s help to surrender this area of my life to Him in every way that He shows me. I want and need God’s presence in my life. If anything is hindering that, it is not worth holding on to.
Tribute to Lari Goss
I am sad to hear about Lari Goss passing away. I had the opportunity to meet him a couple years ago when he asked if I could help him get to the artist circle at NQC. I’m not sure why he asked me. Maybe I looked like I worked there. When he came up to me, I didn’t know who he was. It wasn’t until we had walked a little ways that someone said his name. I waited as he stopped and talked to the person who stopped him. When he was finished, we resumed our walk and I told him it was a blessing to meet him. I was impressed with our brief encounter, as he struck me as a humble gentleman.
Lari was a great producer and arranger, bringing out the best in a number of southern gospel artists. There is no doubt that he will be missed.
Tribute to Andrae Crouch
Although not a Southern Gospel singer, I grew up listening to Andrae Crouch and still play his music quite frequently. Mr. Crouch was not perfect but I believe he had a heart for God and a desire to see others come to know the Savior. I was sad to learn of his passing but I believe that He is not sad to be gone from this world. “Count the years–count the years as months. Count the months–count the months as weeks. You may think you still have a lot of time but count the weeks–count the weeks as days. Any day now, we’ll be going Home.” Andrae Crouch is no longer counting those days.
I never had the chance to meet him to tell him what his music has meant to me but I’m grateful for all the years that he sang and gave God the glory. It was not about Andrae but about the God who saved him when he was nine years old. It really won’t be long and we will be leaving here too. Are you ready?
Looking Ahead
Now that a new year is upon me, my heart wells up with anticipation. Who all will I see this year? What new friends will I make? What will my life be like a year from now? I’m thankful that I don’t know everything that is going to happen in my future. Part of the excitement of life is the element of wonder.
For those who may not know, writing and editing are some of what I do but my primary job is working with my brother and his wife in a ministry called Family Renewal. I handle my brother’s bookings and have the privilege of doing the bulk of the traveling with him. I am so grateful that God allows me to do that. If you would like to keep up with what is going on with us, email your name and address to familyrenewalorders@gmail.com, and I’ll put you on our email list. I just started an e-newsletter for our company and won’t send more than one or two emails a month but it’s a great way to know what specials we are running on our website and where we are going to be ministering. I would love to meet you.
I pray that, as you begin 2015, you are looking forward to another year as I am. Life is uncertain. Every year holds joy and heartache but God is always faithful. He will not fail you if you keep looking to Him. Keep pressing on!
