Life Lessons

Since listening to the 4th session in the Leader's Training, I've been looking for stories in my life that can illustrate a spiritual or character-oriented point. I've been simply amazed by how many there are if I simply look for them! And what's more, they make excellent blog posts too. If you would like to read some of them, keep an eye on our family blog, Life On The Potter's Wheel.

Just the other day, my sisters, dad, and I were at our local county fair watching the Tractor Pulls (lots of fun!), and sitting in front of us was a bunch of young adults in their late teens or so - no older than 20. They were being very distracting. Making lots of noise, standing in our view, leaving muddy prints on the seats, wearing crude slogans on their shirts and using bad language, etc. For the majority of the night, I was very annoyed and wondered what on earth their problem was, but towards the end of the pulls, I realized that my attitude was totally wrong!

I saw that this group was just a small representation of the sad state of modern culture, and I felt so guilty for spending the whole time inwardly complaining about them, when I should have been praying. I did pray then, and I truly wanted to weep - for me, for them, for our culture and nation. I walked away wondering what would happen to them as they grew up.

As I was trying to fall asleep that night, it dawned on me that these are the types of stories that can be used in Bright Lights! I could ask the girls what my immediate response should have been, and then take a moment with them to pray together for those young adults who needed the Lord, for the nation, and it's lack of Christian leadership and principles, and for ourselves - that we would think of others first, see their needs, and not worry about how uncomfortable we feel.

I am amazed and humbled when I see how many lessons I can learn if I'm just ready to let the Holy Spirit teach me.

Being A Servant

The Lord recently touched my heart, and showed me how I had been wasting so much of my time pursuing selfish ends. I cried just then, because all of the sudden I saw that it wasn’t my time I had wasted, but the Lord’s. The moment I surrendered my life to Him, everything I had became His. I spent the majority of the next three days agonizing over this mistake, finding verses on contrition, restoration, etc. and pouring my sorrow out before God (2 Corinthians 7:10-11).

But then, when I finally found myself resting in my Savior’s embrace, and trusting Him to fight off the many temptations that I had so easily succumbed to, I began to feel uneasy once again. It’s amazing how quickly Satan replaces one doubt with another! I wondered what exactly God wanted me to do for Him. He had brought me back to himself, but what did He desire of me?

The very next day after these thoughts made me so worried, I was listening to the 3rd session of the Bright Lights Leaders Training, and Sarah was talking about being a servant. She mentioned that to become a true leader, our very first lesson is to humble ourselves and serve others. But more importantly, to serve unselfishly. That hit me so hard, I think I may have skipped a whole breath. I knew what it was to serve, but I reveled in the praise I received, and neglected to deflect the glory to God - the one who truly deserved it. I knew right away that God had opened my eyes to the first obstacle in the way of my relationship with Him.

As I tried to give up my own power over my life, and ask God to be Lord over all I did and direct my every step, I started noticing how much this world needs people willing to serve unselfishly. At this point, God lit another candle of definition, and I saw that serving others was so much more than just being a big help. It was being cheerful, and making someone’s day a little brighter; it was not pointing out another’s faults, but praying for them; it was letting my own discomfort remain unnoticed, and expressing sympathy for another; it was understanding that no one’s problem is smaller or less important than mine; it was assisting difficult and unappreciative people. There is still so much more to being a servant - I just glanced over the edge of a very great chasm in society.

After praying my devotions this morning, I went to my computer to do some writing, and I felt very strongly led to open up e-Sword (a very wonderful computer-based Bible study tool that is provided free of charge) and read one of the Daily Devotions that came with it. When I get on e-Sword, I’ve gotten into the habit of reading the devotion from Our Daily Walk by F.B. Meyer, so I continued with that today. I got partly through the second paragraph and knew that message was for me. I have included it here for your benefit.


July 29

THE CHRISTIAN EXTRA

"Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain."-- Mat_5:41.

OUR LORD refers here to the usage of the East in the transmission of royal messages, which were carried forward by relays of messengers, much in the fashion of the fiery cross in the Highlands, as described in "The Lady of the Lake." The messengers were "press-men"; each town or village was compelled to forward the message to the next, and the first man happened upon was bound to forward the courier with his horses or mules.

In some such way emergencies are continually happening to us all. We arise in the morning not expecting any special demand for help, or any other circumstance to interfere with the regular routine of the day's work, and then suddenly and unexpectedly a demand bursts upon us, and we are obliged to go in a direction which we never contemplated. We are compelled to go one mile! Then the question arises. Now you have done your duty, performed what you were bound to perform, given what any other person would have given, what are you going to do about the next mile? You had no option about the first; about the second you have an opportunity of choice. Your action in the matter which is optional determines whether or not you have entered into the spirit and ministry of Christ.

Let us not be stingy and niggardly in our dealings with men. There are certain things that must be done, but let us go beyond the must, and do our duty with a smile, and with generous kindness. It is not enough to pay our servants or employees, let us be thankful for their service; it is not enough to pay our debts, let us give the word also of appreciation; it is not enough to simply do the work for which our employer remunerates us, let us do it with alacrity and eagerness, willing to finish a piece of necessary service even at cost to ourselves. As the followers of Christ, we are to be stars bearing our light on the vault of night; flowers shedding fragrance on the world; fountains rising in the arid wastes; always giving love and helpful ministry to this thankless and needy world, and as we break and distribute our barley loaves and fishes, our hands will become filled again, and with the measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again (Luk_6:38).

PRAYER

O God, may we be more gracious to those around us. May we fill up the measure of our possibilities, and so be perfect, as Thou, our Father, art perfect in love. AMEN.


I hope you were as blessed by Mr. Meyer’s writing as I was, and would appreciate your prayers as I continue to seek to be of service to my Lord and His precious children.