When the ten heard about this (the request of James and John to sit at the right and left of Jesus in His glory), they became indignant with James and John. Mark 10:41
When we live for self instead of living to serve, we negatively impact others around us. When I saw those toenails on the gym floor, I became enraged. When the ten other disciples heard the thoughtless and inconsiderate request of James and John they became indignant.
Why? It upsets us when people only think of their own interests. When people are upset and angry with our behavior, they will not be drawn to us. Our actions will either attract people to us or repel people from us. An act of service leads to a life of impact because it positively influences others and opens their hearts to the kindness of God.
Life quickly teaches us that people usually act in such a manner to profit themselves. Service is the antithesis to selfishness and is a powerful apologetic for the goodness of God. People are not used to individuals doing something to benefit their life with no hidden agenda.
I love the following adage from an unknown author. It says, “I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother, and I found all three.”
It is true that when we live only to seek our soul, or in other words, live only for the pleasure of self, the satisfaction we seek can not be found. When we seek God, like James and John, for what He will do for us, God will elude us. However, when we “seek our brother”, which is the most pragmatic way to display altruistic behavior; selfishness is weeded out of our lives. When we live to serve others, we find our soul or the reason we exist. When we live to serve others, we find God.
James 1:27 says, “27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
When we live to serve others, we become extraordinary because: The greatest are the ones who live to impact the lives of others.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Live to Impact: Timing is Everything
As I have matured in my relationship with my wife Cindy, I have become more sensitive and aware of how her emotional state throughout the day. After a long day keeping up with three little boys and rushing to get dinner on the table, I have learned that this is not the best time of the day to ask her to do something for me. Instead, it is an opportune time to ask her if I can serve her in any capacity.
In fact, experts in marriage have written books revealing that sexual intimacy with your wife begins in the kitchen. As husbands serve their wives in this stressful time of the day, it draws their hearts closer to their spouses.
Timing is everything.
On the other hand, my callow boys who lack discernment do not have the capacity to recognize this hectic moment of the day. They have no sense of timing. They will constantly bombard their busy mother with requests until they are rebuked for being so dim-sighted. In their immaturity, all they can see and think about is their own needs or selfish desires.
In the rest of this blog, I want to focus on two people who matured as leaders and made a big impact on their world. They are two of Christ’s disciples and their names are James and John, the sons of Zebedee. James and John, along with Peter, formed Jesus’ most innermost circle of associates. James would so embody the message of Christ that he became the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred.
Five books in the New Testament have been attributed to John the Apostle: the Gospel, three epistles, and Revelation. John would so embody the message of Christ that he became known as the “Beloved Disciple”. In 1 John 3:16 he writes, “16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
Both of these men sacrificed tremendously and lived to serve others for Jesus. Their examples of faith are a great reminder and a source of inspiration of how we are supposed to live as followers of Christ. However, their lives were not always a model of service to be emulated.
Let’s take a deeper look in Mark 10:32-45.
32Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
Can you believe the timing of their request?
As Jesus took the twelve aside and told them what kind of death he was going to suffer in order to save people from their sins, I am astounded by the response of James and John. A sympathetic thought or comment extended to Jesus would have been nice.
Instead, James and John did not display empathy or emotional intelligence. Their self absorbed myopia robbed them of making an intimate connection with the Lord. It also exposed the motive of their heart. Up to this point, they were following Jesus for a privileged place in his administration. They were seeking position and power. James and John were clueless about the real reason Christ had called them to follow Him.
When God discloses information to us, it is so that we might become more engaged with Him and His will, not so He might become more engaged with us and our will.
Can you think of a moment in your life, when you missed the opportunity to impact someone else, because you were only thinking of your own interests?
In fact, experts in marriage have written books revealing that sexual intimacy with your wife begins in the kitchen. As husbands serve their wives in this stressful time of the day, it draws their hearts closer to their spouses.
Timing is everything.
On the other hand, my callow boys who lack discernment do not have the capacity to recognize this hectic moment of the day. They have no sense of timing. They will constantly bombard their busy mother with requests until they are rebuked for being so dim-sighted. In their immaturity, all they can see and think about is their own needs or selfish desires.
In the rest of this blog, I want to focus on two people who matured as leaders and made a big impact on their world. They are two of Christ’s disciples and their names are James and John, the sons of Zebedee. James and John, along with Peter, formed Jesus’ most innermost circle of associates. James would so embody the message of Christ that he became the first of the twelve disciples to be martyred.
Five books in the New Testament have been attributed to John the Apostle: the Gospel, three epistles, and Revelation. John would so embody the message of Christ that he became known as the “Beloved Disciple”. In 1 John 3:16 he writes, “16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”
Both of these men sacrificed tremendously and lived to serve others for Jesus. Their examples of faith are a great reminder and a source of inspiration of how we are supposed to live as followers of Christ. However, their lives were not always a model of service to be emulated.
Let’s take a deeper look in Mark 10:32-45.
32Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33"We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise."
35Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask." 36"What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. 37They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory."
Can you believe the timing of their request?
As Jesus took the twelve aside and told them what kind of death he was going to suffer in order to save people from their sins, I am astounded by the response of James and John. A sympathetic thought or comment extended to Jesus would have been nice.
Instead, James and John did not display empathy or emotional intelligence. Their self absorbed myopia robbed them of making an intimate connection with the Lord. It also exposed the motive of their heart. Up to this point, they were following Jesus for a privileged place in his administration. They were seeking position and power. James and John were clueless about the real reason Christ had called them to follow Him.
When God discloses information to us, it is so that we might become more engaged with Him and His will, not so He might become more engaged with us and our will.
Can you think of a moment in your life, when you missed the opportunity to impact someone else, because you were only thinking of your own interests?
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Live to Impact
After fourteen years of speaking to a familiar audience, it can be quite challenging to come up with original sermon illustrations. My “Live to Impact” message was no exception. So, I began praying hard to the Lord for help in finding a story that would relate to my message on service. I really wanted to use an example on selfishness. I mentally referenced my customary places of resources such as marriage and children to uncover the perfect illustration. I was pretty confident in myself to have recently done something selfish to Cindy. However, as I diligently searched for a story, I could not procure what I was looking for.
As my five week review began to draw closer, I started to panic with the thoughts of not being able to find a story on selfishness. Tuesday morning after prayer, I drove to the gym for my routine workout and Bible study. While in the locker room, I ran into an old buddy who I used to run with on the FSU track while in graduate school. As we were “catching up” with one another, I looked down on the carpet next to my locker and could not believe what I saw with my eyes.
I had found my perfect illustration on selfishness for this Sunday message. Somebody had cut their long and nasty toenails and left them lying on the carpet. Since I had just finished taking a shower, I was barefoot and I think I stepped on some of the toe nails. As I drew my friends attention to my latest sermon illustration, we both shook our heads while saying, “Oooooh!”
Immediately, I became a double-minded and unstable man. One part of me was elated and jumping with joy that I had found a great illustration on selfishness. The other part of me was grossed out at the thought of someone leaving their unsavory toenails on the locker room carpet.
We have all been negatively impacted by people who act selfish. We can all think of instances, maybe not this reprehensible, where somebody upset us because they were only thinking about themselves. Also, we all can think of moments when we hurt others because we were only looking out for our own interests. We all know it does not take much effort at all to act selfish.
If selfishness negatively impacts people, what is the greatest way to make a positive impact on a person?
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says, “23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
Leaving odious toe nails on the gym carpet is not beneficial or constructive, and it is certainly not seeking the good of others.
Conducting our behavior in such a way that demonstrates we are considerate of the interests of others is the greatest way we can live to impact.
As my five week review began to draw closer, I started to panic with the thoughts of not being able to find a story on selfishness. Tuesday morning after prayer, I drove to the gym for my routine workout and Bible study. While in the locker room, I ran into an old buddy who I used to run with on the FSU track while in graduate school. As we were “catching up” with one another, I looked down on the carpet next to my locker and could not believe what I saw with my eyes.
I had found my perfect illustration on selfishness for this Sunday message. Somebody had cut their long and nasty toenails and left them lying on the carpet. Since I had just finished taking a shower, I was barefoot and I think I stepped on some of the toe nails. As I drew my friends attention to my latest sermon illustration, we both shook our heads while saying, “Oooooh!”
Immediately, I became a double-minded and unstable man. One part of me was elated and jumping with joy that I had found a great illustration on selfishness. The other part of me was grossed out at the thought of someone leaving their unsavory toenails on the locker room carpet.
We have all been negatively impacted by people who act selfish. We can all think of instances, maybe not this reprehensible, where somebody upset us because they were only thinking about themselves. Also, we all can think of moments when we hurt others because we were only looking out for our own interests. We all know it does not take much effort at all to act selfish.
If selfishness negatively impacts people, what is the greatest way to make a positive impact on a person?
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 says, “23"Everything is permissible"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”
Leaving odious toe nails on the gym carpet is not beneficial or constructive, and it is certainly not seeking the good of others.
Conducting our behavior in such a way that demonstrates we are considerate of the interests of others is the greatest way we can live to impact.
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