While thinking about this book, I had a few questions I needed to ask myself. And as you keep reading, you'll get asked the same questions I asked myself. In December 2012, I was listening to a sermon taught by a very good man. He was preaching on Jonah. I may have heard him wrong, but I know what I heard at the conclusion of his sermon. He asked a general question of his audience, without an actual response needed. I heard him ask, "What good are you doing to serve God?" The question is valid. What good am I doing? I tossed it around over and over. I finally had the metaphorical lightening bolt hit me! What GOOD AM I doing? Earlier the same year, I'd attended a banquet with my dad. I took my mothers place due to her being sick. This banquet was hosted by Eastern European Mission. I learned about what they were doing in Croatia, Russia, and Ukraine. I got excited as soon as my dad and I showed up. I'm an avid crocheter and EEM has an extension of itself. Women of EEM or better know as, WEEM. I signed up to receive the reports and found out that the woman who sends out the reports actually has a daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren who attend the same congregation that I do. Small world, right?
So my intentions were true after attending that banquet. But I'd put that on the back burner at the time due to the fact that I was attending school and thought to myself, "God understands that I'm busy!" He does. But that doesn't matter. Do you know why that doesn't matter? Because I can have the best intentions, but where is my heart in my actions? How can I do good with the intention of pleasing God and serving Christ? That was probably the third or fourth question I'd asked myself. The sermon on Jonah is one I've heard before. Not just from the preacher at the place I worship. For some reason, what he'd asked really made me think. What good can I do? I'm in constant conversation with God about what He'd like me to do as far as serving Christ all while glorifying the Father. I see opportunities, but I'm afraid. My health is a factor. I may also have allergies to things that I haven't come into contact with if I go to a different country. And while that may sound like an excuse, I'm completely serious. I went to Mexico one summer with my youth group while in high school and when I came home, I felt like my stomach was coming out of my body! At least for two or three days. So God only knows what I can get if I go overseas. Another question I'd asked myself is: does my attitude reflect my intention of serving Him? I'm not sure. No one knows that I want to be of service to God unless I put myself out there.
What are my intentions then here in the present moment? Do I want to do service among non-Christians for my own personal gain? Or do I really want to do service among non-Christians for the sake of serving Christ and glorifying the Father? Prayers have been said thousands of times. I'll admit that saying the same prayer over and over may not get the job done. Trust me, I've been down that road several times. It's like the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well, I was saying the same prayer over and over again, expecting any results. And then, I ran into an "old friend." It was my high school yearbook. Keep in mind, it was my junior year and I attended a large five-A high school. I started flipping through it. I remembered a lot of the people I would associate myself with back then. It's amazing to realise how much has happened to them and to know that I could've gone down so many other paths. When I was that young, I was reckless and distant. Sure, I went to church. I'd been immersed in the water of baptism. But I was not that great in my faith. My intentions weren't the same as they are now. And that happens. Maturity happens. I keep asking myself the same questions. Where's the opportunities? Am I missing them even when they're right in front of me?
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing (KJV)
As hard as it may seem, I think of praying without ceasing often enough that my mind goes back to a bible class that I attended with a very good minister of the Word. He currently ministers to a congregation in Austin, TX, and he's a very good preacher and teacher. He used a specific way to talk to God. Not just in prayer substance. He said that we should think of God as our friend who sits on the couch next to us. And we should just dump out our bucket of problems on the floor so He can help us sort through them. That's how I found out who I was and who I am, not just in Christ, but who I am with Christ. And that helped me seek out what my intentions are to be when it comes to serving Christ while serving the Father. I'm to seek God in every situation however it might turn out. I should praise God and thank Him for the opportunities presented to me.
Deuteronomy 15:10
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou put thine hand unto. (KJV)
When you do works for the Lord, you will be blessed. In everything you do, in everything you say, God blesses you when you serve Him. When you figure out how good your intentions are when putting yourself to work for the Lord your God, you will be blessed immensely! You will be more willing to pray without ceasing, giving Him constant praise and thanking Him that you can breathe every morning you wake up. Don't forget to pray for your neighbor. You never know when they are struggling more than you. And I don't always mean your next door neighbor or the woman down the street with all her cats. Those people need prayers as well. But your neighbor is not only defined by where you live and who lives around you. Your neighbor is the person you encounter at work with bad breathe, the person who is on the corner just looking for spare change or a meal to eat, and the person who gives you a hard time at school. In my mid-twenties, I worked for a large office supply company. I got my schedule arranged so I could pick up my baby sister from school every day. At the same corner store, I'd buy two bottles of water, a sandwich, a bag of chips and a snack. This wasn't for me. The snack was for my baby sister. The water, sandwich and bag of chips went to whoever happened to be standing on the corner when I came to the red light just before going to the school. Lots of people disagree with me doing that. They didn't realize that I was helping my neighbor. And I was only rejected one time! Once! That's it! The other times, I was greeted graciously and I even got a few "God bless you's" out of it! I had the means and the financial standing to do so! I'd rather feed a person then give my money away. How would I know if they spent the cash on alcohol or cigarettes? If I bought them a meal, they could eat at least once that day or even once that week. The blessings may not be immediate gratification in the material sense. However, the gratification in knowing that I fed someone-- because I could-- made me feel very, very blessed. My attitude wasn't always the greatest because my job was hard and demanding. But after giving the person the food and water and seeing their gratitude and appreciation, I felt so much better! Not just about myself. I felt strong in my faith in Christ. I was still in the relationship of damage.
Where was my heart in doing that action? Yes, I felt better. But my heart wasn't always in the right place. I believed for a long time: If I do this kind thing for these homeless people, I'll make up for his and my sins; past, present and future. And I knew and still know better than that! I'm not to worry about someone else in where they are in their sinful nature. My intentions to serving the homeless was not the intention I should've had when serving Christ. Being faithful in serving Him is very hard. There are several examples given to us all through the new testament where Christ was serving others. John 13:5 talks about how Christ washed the feet of His disciples the night He was to be crucified. They thought it was the strangest thing. Why is the Lord washing my feet? I'm sure that thought crossed several of their minds. Finding a service project is easy. You can do Meals on Wheels, volunteer at a food pantry, or go to your local hospital and volunteer there. But why are you there? If you choose to be there, why are you there?
How can I do good with the intention of pleasing God and serving Christ?
Does my attitude reflect my intention of serving Him?
Do I seek prayer time even when my mind is full?
Do I pray for those who do not see what my intentions are? If not, why?
What is my attitude?
What are my intentions?
Am I doing good things for my own good? Or am I doing good to actually do good?
How are you living for the cause of Christ?
Who are you? More importantly, who are you in Christ and with Christ?
Please don't think or believe I'm instructing you to do service for Christ while I sit back and relax. I'm looking myself. I always ask where I'm needed! I'm always asking myself what my intentions are and what's in it for the Lord, not what's in it for me! I currently work with a ministry in the congregation I attend that provides training for Christ for children third to twelfth grade. But I always want to do more. Providing help with this Leadership Training for Christ is building the future of souls that are young now. Remember, keep your bible handy, a writing utensil/highlighter, and paper or a notebook just in case you'd like to take notes along the way.
So my intentions were true after attending that banquet. But I'd put that on the back burner at the time due to the fact that I was attending school and thought to myself, "God understands that I'm busy!" He does. But that doesn't matter. Do you know why that doesn't matter? Because I can have the best intentions, but where is my heart in my actions? How can I do good with the intention of pleasing God and serving Christ? That was probably the third or fourth question I'd asked myself. The sermon on Jonah is one I've heard before. Not just from the preacher at the place I worship. For some reason, what he'd asked really made me think. What good can I do? I'm in constant conversation with God about what He'd like me to do as far as serving Christ all while glorifying the Father. I see opportunities, but I'm afraid. My health is a factor. I may also have allergies to things that I haven't come into contact with if I go to a different country. And while that may sound like an excuse, I'm completely serious. I went to Mexico one summer with my youth group while in high school and when I came home, I felt like my stomach was coming out of my body! At least for two or three days. So God only knows what I can get if I go overseas. Another question I'd asked myself is: does my attitude reflect my intention of serving Him? I'm not sure. No one knows that I want to be of service to God unless I put myself out there.
What are my intentions then here in the present moment? Do I want to do service among non-Christians for my own personal gain? Or do I really want to do service among non-Christians for the sake of serving Christ and glorifying the Father? Prayers have been said thousands of times. I'll admit that saying the same prayer over and over may not get the job done. Trust me, I've been down that road several times. It's like the definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Well, I was saying the same prayer over and over again, expecting any results. And then, I ran into an "old friend." It was my high school yearbook. Keep in mind, it was my junior year and I attended a large five-A high school. I started flipping through it. I remembered a lot of the people I would associate myself with back then. It's amazing to realise how much has happened to them and to know that I could've gone down so many other paths. When I was that young, I was reckless and distant. Sure, I went to church. I'd been immersed in the water of baptism. But I was not that great in my faith. My intentions weren't the same as they are now. And that happens. Maturity happens. I keep asking myself the same questions. Where's the opportunities? Am I missing them even when they're right in front of me?
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing (KJV)
As hard as it may seem, I think of praying without ceasing often enough that my mind goes back to a bible class that I attended with a very good minister of the Word. He currently ministers to a congregation in Austin, TX, and he's a very good preacher and teacher. He used a specific way to talk to God. Not just in prayer substance. He said that we should think of God as our friend who sits on the couch next to us. And we should just dump out our bucket of problems on the floor so He can help us sort through them. That's how I found out who I was and who I am, not just in Christ, but who I am with Christ. And that helped me seek out what my intentions are to be when it comes to serving Christ while serving the Father. I'm to seek God in every situation however it might turn out. I should praise God and thank Him for the opportunities presented to me.
Deuteronomy 15:10
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou put thine hand unto. (KJV)
When you do works for the Lord, you will be blessed. In everything you do, in everything you say, God blesses you when you serve Him. When you figure out how good your intentions are when putting yourself to work for the Lord your God, you will be blessed immensely! You will be more willing to pray without ceasing, giving Him constant praise and thanking Him that you can breathe every morning you wake up. Don't forget to pray for your neighbor. You never know when they are struggling more than you. And I don't always mean your next door neighbor or the woman down the street with all her cats. Those people need prayers as well. But your neighbor is not only defined by where you live and who lives around you. Your neighbor is the person you encounter at work with bad breathe, the person who is on the corner just looking for spare change or a meal to eat, and the person who gives you a hard time at school. In my mid-twenties, I worked for a large office supply company. I got my schedule arranged so I could pick up my baby sister from school every day. At the same corner store, I'd buy two bottles of water, a sandwich, a bag of chips and a snack. This wasn't for me. The snack was for my baby sister. The water, sandwich and bag of chips went to whoever happened to be standing on the corner when I came to the red light just before going to the school. Lots of people disagree with me doing that. They didn't realize that I was helping my neighbor. And I was only rejected one time! Once! That's it! The other times, I was greeted graciously and I even got a few "God bless you's" out of it! I had the means and the financial standing to do so! I'd rather feed a person then give my money away. How would I know if they spent the cash on alcohol or cigarettes? If I bought them a meal, they could eat at least once that day or even once that week. The blessings may not be immediate gratification in the material sense. However, the gratification in knowing that I fed someone-- because I could-- made me feel very, very blessed. My attitude wasn't always the greatest because my job was hard and demanding. But after giving the person the food and water and seeing their gratitude and appreciation, I felt so much better! Not just about myself. I felt strong in my faith in Christ. I was still in the relationship of damage.
Where was my heart in doing that action? Yes, I felt better. But my heart wasn't always in the right place. I believed for a long time: If I do this kind thing for these homeless people, I'll make up for his and my sins; past, present and future. And I knew and still know better than that! I'm not to worry about someone else in where they are in their sinful nature. My intentions to serving the homeless was not the intention I should've had when serving Christ. Being faithful in serving Him is very hard. There are several examples given to us all through the new testament where Christ was serving others. John 13:5 talks about how Christ washed the feet of His disciples the night He was to be crucified. They thought it was the strangest thing. Why is the Lord washing my feet? I'm sure that thought crossed several of their minds. Finding a service project is easy. You can do Meals on Wheels, volunteer at a food pantry, or go to your local hospital and volunteer there. But why are you there? If you choose to be there, why are you there?
How can I do good with the intention of pleasing God and serving Christ?
Does my attitude reflect my intention of serving Him?
Do I seek prayer time even when my mind is full?
Do I pray for those who do not see what my intentions are? If not, why?
What is my attitude?
What are my intentions?
Am I doing good things for my own good? Or am I doing good to actually do good?
How are you living for the cause of Christ?
Who are you? More importantly, who are you in Christ and with Christ?
Please don't think or believe I'm instructing you to do service for Christ while I sit back and relax. I'm looking myself. I always ask where I'm needed! I'm always asking myself what my intentions are and what's in it for the Lord, not what's in it for me! I currently work with a ministry in the congregation I attend that provides training for Christ for children third to twelfth grade. But I always want to do more. Providing help with this Leadership Training for Christ is building the future of souls that are young now. Remember, keep your bible handy, a writing utensil/highlighter, and paper or a notebook just in case you'd like to take notes along the way.
Comments
Post a Comment