Why?

I long to write a devotional book - something that will speak to others and encourage them in their journey with God. These are a few of my thoughts...please enjoy them as you find your resting thoughts in the arms of God.

A few quiet moments during the day. Resting thoughts to focus your mind. Come face to face with the One who loves you. Be embraced. Cherished. Loved.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

A Servant's Heart

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke18:14b


How many times have you heard the last will be first and the first will be last? Probably more times than you care to count. You know mission trips are not about you, but you have probably found yourself thinking a lot about yourself as you prepare. How will you handle the climate? Where will you sleep? What will you eat? Who will you talk to? Who will miss you?

Those are all normal questions, but for every “you” question, there needs to be a “them” question. How do they handle the climate? Where will they sleep? What do they eat? Who will they talk to? Who will miss them? Those are the questions a true servant asks. A servant does not think about how circumstances affect them, but instead how circumstances affect those they go to serve. It is a simple theory and a hard practice. We want so much to serve and love the “thems” of the world, but our culture does a good job of training us to be a little selfish and worry about us first.

For the next few days, every time a “you” question pops into your head – or, for that matter, every time someone asks you a question about how you are preparing – replace the “you” with the “they” and see what kind of difference it makes in your heart as you prepare.

This trip is a chance for you to serve God to the fullest of your ability – to be His hands, His feet, His heart to people who may never have heard of Him before.

Commit yourself to being last, to thinking less of yourself, and be open to experiencing the true joy of living for “them” instead.

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