May 19, 2016

We Are To Serve

43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -- Mark 10:43-45

The other day I was minding my own business while driving to town. Unfortunately, someone else decided to insert themselves into my business.

The road narrows, going from two lanes to one. No problem for most of us. Everyone merged accordingly. Except for the tan Expedition. That driver was determined to be first. She almost ran me off the road and came close to rear ending the car in front of me.

I have no idea what her hurry was all about. But I wonder if it was worth almost causing two accidents. And I wonder if she ever considered that she was to share the road and obey the traffic signs. Somehow I doubt it.

No matter what is going on in life -- whether it’s traffic or job or family -- somebody always wants to be first. The problem comes when their desire tramples all over the rights of others.

Do you remember this story in the Bible? John and James wanted to sit on either side of Jesus when He entered His glory. They wanted Jesus to promise -- before they even asked Him. You can imagine how well that went over with the other 10 disciples.

That’s what happens when we try to elevate ourselves over others. It causes dissention. It causes hard feelings. And it makes us look pretty bad.

In the world of our faith, we are called to serve others. It’s what Jesus did and it’s what He expects us to do. Except we don’t do servanthood well, do we? We want to lead and give orders but that’s not the way of Jesus.

In the way of Jesus, we let the other cars go ahead and merge in to traffic. In the way of Jesus, we support and help others to be successful. In the way of Jesus, we serve without expecting anything in return.

It’s something to think about the next time we are trying to win at the expense of someone else.

April 9, 2016

Put Others First

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. -- Philippians 2:3-4

Yesterday we made the bi-weekly trek to the grocery store. Parking, especially the handicapped slots, were at a premium. I noticed two men loading groceries into their car and I waited patiently for them to finish, get in their car and leave. I sat with my blinker on, clearing waiting. You know what I am about to say, don’t you? Someone came up and snagged the spot that was supposed to be mine.

You probably want me to say it was okay. Really, it wasn’t. My Mother has trouble walking and it’s a long way from the parking lot to the front door of the grocery store. In my mind, she trumps the stranger who stole “our” parking space.

How ridiculous! At the end of the day, does it really matter? The other driver wasn’t worth getting upset about. I had to tell myself that several times. Because, you see, it wasn’t about a parking space.

Don’t we all hate when other people -- even strangers -- don’t value us? It’s really upsetting not to be first! Except, Paul clearly tells us we aren’t supposed to be first.

That’s all well and good when we apply it to someone else. That woman shouldn’t have taken the space I was waiting to get. She should have put me first. Or, better yet, my Mother first. She should have waited her turn.

It’s not so easy when we’re the ones who are being called to consider others before ourselves. She might have been searching for a spot for sometime. She clearly wasn’t good at parking because she had to try several times before she made it into the spot. I should give her the benefit of the doubt, as the saying goes.

How often this plays out in our lives. We don’t want people to cut in front of us in traffic. We don’t want to wait in line. We want to have all our needs met immediately and let others wait.

Life doesn’t work that way. Sometimes we have to step back and let someone else be first. Not because it is their “right” but because it is what we are called to do.

Think about it: Do you look more like Jesus when you are demanding your right to be first or when you are graciously allowing someone else to take that slot? Choose to be like Jesus.

March 4, 2016

Look Beyond Yourself

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

-- Philippians 2:3-4

It was kind of funny really. A really sweet young woman brought a large piece of furniture to the house for me to paint. She was surprised when I told her it would be a week to 10 days before it was ready. I’m not sure what she was thinking but I think it was more like a day or two.

I don’t think it occurred to her that I might have other orders ahead of hers. Surprising really. She first contacted me in December and I was too busy to get to it before Christmas. She called again and said she would bring it but never came. Then one day she called and told me it was loaded and she was on her way. Okay.

I’ll do the best I can to get it back to her in a timely manner. I’ve learned that life rarely goes the way I planned. And I’ve also learned that most folks think they should be first, no matter who was ahead of them in line.

Aren’t we all that way? We don’t want to wait. We hurry, hurry, hurry. We want to be first in line. All the time. And, yet, that isn’t the way we’re supposed to behave.

Several years ago I was at a church function and watched man rush forward the minute the potluck buffet line opened. I was appalled. Later he was back for seconds before everyone had made it through the line the first time. This was a man who should have known better. Maybe he thought he did. How sad.

It’s not fun being last, is it? At one function I attend every year, people line up based on when their table number is drawn. Last year we were next to last. There really wasn’t a lot of food left and several folks grumbled loudly. But, you know, somebody has to be last. Who says it shouldn’t be me or you?

Things have changed since I was young. We no longer allow the elderly to go first. We don’t always hold the door for someone else. We would never consider giving our seat up for someone else. And we wonder -- loudly -- where our country’s values have gone. Look in the mirror.

Every time we fail to put someone before ourselves, we are denying the gospel. Kindness matters. When you preach one moment and the next you are putting yourself first, you are being the hypocrite you profess to hate.

It’s not about you. It’s not about me. Really. It’s not.