Life of Service part 3
Jesus showed us how to rule and reign on the earth when He girded Himself with a towel, got down on His hands and knees, and washed His disciples feet. I've heard it said that good leaders rule over people without always overruling them. Without controlling them. Withing making "leading" all about the "leader." You can't lead from the back. You can't expect people to do something you wouldn't do. And you SHOULDN'T expect people to do things even that you WOULD do. Expectations are the quickest and best way to get disappointed. Loving people no matter what--no matter who they are or what they're doing--and just letting people BE people... that's how we can begin to truly experience this gift that we've been given. A life of love is a life of service. A life of love is the only life worth living. So a life of service is the only life worth living. But hear me on this: I'm not saying you should run yourself ragged trying to be a people pleaser. Boundaries are healthy and important. Staying in your lane. Doing what you can do, and not worrying about what you can't do. Learning to say no. And to say it without explaining yourself. All of these things are healthy. I believe it is better to burn out than rust out. But, as always, there's a more excellent way. Instead of burning out (OR rusting out) you can do whatever you do from a posture of rest. You can stop fighting and start flowing. Letting what's inside flow out of you. If those who are led by the Spirit will be called (or identified as) the Son(s) of God... that means the way we show Jesus to people is by loving them. What else would (or could) the Holy Spirit lead us to do? So I guess what I'm trying to say is, the best way to lead is to follow. Whoever would be first should make himself last. Esteem others higher than yourself. Don't worry about what you do or don't have. You have what you need because you've been given the gift of God. The gift of love. For God so loved the world--you and me--He gave His only begotten Son--to you and me--so that we might not perish but live. So that Jesus might live in us, and through us, and as us. So that we might know Him, and in knowing Him... know ourselves. Jesus is our true identity. God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. So what we need to do is let Him out. He's in there. The same Spirit that washed His disciples feet lives in us. WE can serve others because HE has served us. All we ever need to do is receive and release Jesus. Receive and release the love of God. Let what's inside come out. By knowing and believing that it's in there. All we ever need to do is serve people. Give what we've got. And in that way experience and enjoy what we've got. This life is not about getting. Because love IS giving. And because we have already been given everything we need. We don't need anything, because we have everything. Because we have Jesus. Because we ARE Jesus. As He is, so are we in this world. He lives in us. We live in Him. There is no difference and no separation. When God looks at you He sees Jesus and when God looks at Jesus He sees you. We need to know who we are so we can BE who we are. So we can live the life God wants for us. The life He has provided for us and given to us. The life of love. The life of laying yourself down for your friends. The life of giving everything you have and everything you are. That's the life worth living. That's the life of God. The love of God. That's the life of service. And tomorrow I think we're going to talk about the LOVE of service. Because it's not about doing it grudgingly, or feeling obliged to do it... it's about doing it heartily. To the best of your ability because it's in your heart to do it!