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Feb 15

2018

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The Wilderness of Testing Part Three

For the past two months, we looked at the first two temptations Jesus faced in the wilderness and how his experience applies to our lives. Now we come to the third and final temptation of Jesus recorded in Matthew’s account. If you haven’t read the previous featured blogs, I encourage you to take a moment and review The Wilderness of Testing and the Wilderness of Testing Part Two. It will give you a better understanding of the progression in this passage. Of the three temptations, this one resonated with me the most. It seems the first temptation is in the area of our physical desires. The second temptation seems related to spiritual issues. This final temptation seems connected to our emotional lives – areas of ego and how we view ourselves in context with others. Here is our passage for this month:

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”  (Matthew 4:8-10, ESV)

Let’s look deeper into this passage.

Satan Attacks

In this final scene of the temptation of Jesus, Satan goes for broke. He takes Jesus to the top of a high mountain and in a sweeping gesture shows Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I’ll give you more than you can imagine,” he whispers. “All you have to do is to trust me. Worship me. You don’t need God. I’ll give you all this glory and more.”

When Satan offers Jesus the kingdoms of this world, I do not think he was referring to political kingdoms and nations. I suspect he was referring to kingdoms of wealth, kingdoms of happiness, kingdoms of power, kingdoms of celebrity and fame, kingdoms of significance. These are the kingdoms of this earth. “Worship me,” he says, “and I will give you all this.” Note the passage says he offered Jesus “the kingdoms of this world and their glory.” He’s not just offering him kingdoms, he’s offering him their glory. This is key to understanding the basis of this temptation. It is the temptation to seek glory for ourselves. It is the temptation to take our eyes off God, and to worship anything but him. It is the temptation for self-worship. It is the temptation to seek our glory over God’s. It is the temptation to seek wealth, happiness, power, celebrity, fame and significance and the glory they represent.

The problem with this is that none of these things ever satisfy. All leave us longing for more. Satan is a fraud. He offers glory, but fails to mention it will never satisfy. We want more. More significance. More money. More toys to play with. More followers on social media. More likes. More retweets. But none of it satisfies. Sadly, we’ve been duped. We bought the lie. We bowed down. And it left us empty.

The rise in social media has fueled this temptation. In December 2017, former Facebook executive Chamath Palihapitiya shared how the site was intentionally developed to hook users by manipulating their emotional responses. “We curate our lives around this perceived sense of perfection, because we get rewarded in these short term signals: Hearts, likes, thumbs up,” he said. “We conflate that with value and we conflate it with truth, and instead what it really is is fake, brittle popularity that’s short term and leaves you even more vacant and empty than before you did it.”

We rate our success based on the number of Twitter followers or friends on Facebook. I’ve done it. Lately I’ve questioned this. How much of my social media use is ultimately to promote myself? This is where we have to ask ourselves the hard questions.

The Search for Significance

Satan offers us significance. God offers us the opposite. Jesus said “The greatest among you shall be your servant” (Matthew 23:11, ESV), and “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4, ESV). Note he did not say the greatest among you will have the largest church. He did not say the greatest among you will influence the most people for the cause of Christ. He did not say the greatest among you will have the largest social media following. He did not say the greatest among you will have the nicest home, drive a newer model car, or live in the right neighborhood. He said the greatest would be your servant.

Even the disciples dealt with this issue. They argued over who was the greatest. Here’s Luke account:

“A dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest. And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves” (Luke 22:24-26, ESV).

If the disciples grappled with this issue, is it possible we do as well? I know I do.

My desire for significance is an ungodly motivating factor in my life. I grew up in a difficult home environment where often I struggled. Most of my life I have felt insignificant, worth little, etc. I have a natural sinful desire to counter those feelings. It crouches in the background of my life. My whole life it has hidden behind the curtain on the stage, peeking out at me. I hear its whisper when I am preaching.

I pray for influence. But does my prayer for influence come from a heart to see God’s kingdom made great, or do I desire to see my kingdom made great? Even just a little? Is my desire for influence actually just a desire for significance? These are the difficult questions with which I wrestle in quiet moments alone with God.

I asked myself this question in regard to publishing the next book I’ve written. I spent time last year looking for a publisher and speaking with literary agents. Is my desire for a publisher just another example of pride? Do I want to say, “I am published by so-and-so.” Am I trying to find a publisher so I can feel significant? So many questions.

Jesus Responds

Satan does his best to tempt Jesus away from God. Jesus will have none of it. He counters with a stunning command to Satan. “Be gone, Satan! You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” Here he quotes from Deuteronomy 6:13, where Moses instructs the Israelites, “It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”

In the original language, the command “Be gone, Satan” is the same statement Jesus says to Peter. Jesus shared with the disciples he was about to go to Jerusalem to lay down his life. Peter responds, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, (be gone) Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:22-23, ESV).

There it is. Did you catch it? “You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” He is referring to the kingdoms of this world, the things of man. It is the core temptation with which we all deal. Gratefully, Jesus continues and explains how we are to live.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25, ESV).

Satan offers us the chance to be served. Jesus offers us servitude. Satan focuses on building wealth. Jesus focuses on the poor. Satan offers power. Jesus willingly set aside his power and submitted to death on a cross. Can you see the contrast?

God does not share his glory. The wise never try to capture it for themselves. It never ends well. His command to us is to love him with all our hearts, all our minds, all our strength. All, not most of our hearts. All. He alone is worthy of our worship. We bow to him alone.

There is hope!

While this may sound discouraging, what I found was greatly encouraging. It frees us to address each of these issues. It frees us to seek influence without significance. It frees us to seek ministry without titles. It frees us to serve without needing someone’s approval. Each area I addressed brought a brighter light of God’s glory into my heart. While difficult to process, it brought me to a new place in my relationship with God. For this, I am extremely grateful.

As I mentioned in the earlier blogs, at the end of this Wilderness of Testing I was exhausted, mentally, physically, and spiritually. Good news, my friends, a season of rest is coming! In God’s plan, the Valley of Wait usually leads to a Wilderness of Testing. But the Wilderness of Testing leads to a Valley of Rest. We’ll look at this in detail in the next featured blog. For now, let’s review what we discovered in this passage.

  1. Satan offers us the kingdoms of this world – kingdoms of significance, power, prestige, celebrity, fame, wealth and glory – if only we bow down to him instead of to God. Be careful to worship God alone. God does not share glory. Don’t try to take it for yourself. It will not end well.
  1. Ask the hard questions. What are the motivating factors in your life? What actually drives you? Let the Holy Spirit dig deeply in your heart. Find freedom when you yield to his touch to transform your life in these hidden places.
  1. Bow to God alone. Love God with all your heart. The challenge here is the word “all.” It is one thing to say we love God. It is a far different thing to say we love him with all our hearts. “All” leaves no room for second place.

The third test is this: Is God worth more to you than the kingdoms of this world and glory? May we do the hard work of addressing these issues in our lives.

I always enjoy reading your comments.  Feel free to post your thoughts below.

May 03

2017

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Life is Worship

On a personal level, I often struggle to balance the responsibilities of ministry with the responsibilities I have in other areas of life. I’m referring to the responsibilities of owning and maintaining a home, a car, and all the other things that crowd into my life. I imagine many of you can relate. As a single adult, I don’t have a helpmate to assist me with the multitude of things that need attention in a home. If something needs to be taken care of around the house, I’m the one who will do it. I’m the one who mows the lawn, empties the dishwasher, vacuums the floor, dusts the furniture, pays the bills, checks the mail, trims the bushes, reconciles the bank statement, washes the windows, cleans the toilets, cleans those little bits of dried toothpaste out of the sink, checks the oil in the car, buys the groceries, and cooks the meals. If you are a single parent, you can multiply this list by one hundred. I feel your pain. I do all these things and more while trying to maintain a ministry career that often takes me away from home for extended periods of time. It can be a bit overwhelming. The grass doesn’t stop growing while I am gone.

Sometimes I feel guilty if I am working on the house while I know there are things related to ministry on which I could be focusing. Frankly, sometimes I get a bad attitude towards it and feel sorry for myself. This is where I found myself last week. I was painting the garage when it happened.

I live with a stewardship mentality. God owns everything, and I just manage what he has entrusted to me. My home is an example of this. I do not own my home. My name may be on the deed, but the reality is that God owns my home. He gave me this home, for this time, for me to live in. I am grateful for it. It is a beautiful place. But it is his, not mine. I merely take care of it for now. At any moment, God could lead me to sell the house and give away all the proceeds. It would be of no consequence to me because it is not my home. When I live this way, I receive an immense freedom to enjoy all that God has given to me. My only responsibility is to be a steward of what he has given to me. I manage it on his behalf, in the way he wants it managed.

Last week I was painting the inside of the garage. It was a project that was long overdue. I had put if off because it really was not that important to me. We’re talking about the garage after all. It was a hot day. The heat index was nearly 100 degrees. As I painted, sweat ran down my arm and dripped off my elbow, spattering the concrete floor. I was tired, and my attitude was sour. Finally I paused and looked around the room, surveying the work that still needed to be completed.

“You know, God,” I said, “If I made more money I could hire someone to do this, and I could be in the house working on an article. I could be working on something that mattered instead of just painting this stupid garage.”

I know it wasn’t fair to speak to him like that, but we have the kind of relationship where we can talk openly to one another. His reply was as frank and direct as my complaint.

“So what you’re saying to me, Tim,” he replied, “is that you think that taking care of my home is not important.”

I was immediately taken aback. It hit me hard because it was true.

I stood there with the brush in my hand and thought about a trip I took a few years ago to Kenya. One day, in the broiling African sun, I served alongside other volunteers painting a large steel gate. I did it with joy because I was serving God as I served the missionary family. It was a privilege! I worshiped God as I worked, thankful for the opportunity to serve him in this way. So what is the difference between painting a gate in Africa and painting a garage in the United States?

In that moment, everything changed for me. I looked around the garage, and I thought about how kind God had been to give me this place to live. That he would entrust me to take care of such a beautiful home was humbling to me. Immediately I hung my head and whispered, “Oh God, forgive me.”

I think for the first time in my life I understood that work could be worship. All these so-called mundane tasks can be moments for worship when I understand that I am serving the King of all Kings in the process. I had made the mistake of separating the work of ministry from the work of living and in the process had missed the wonder of worshiping and serving God in all areas of life.

David wrote,

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers” (Psalm 24:1-2, ESV).

Everything belongs to God. He created it all, so therefore it belongs to him. Everything in this world, even the animals and people that live on it, belong to him. That means your house, your car, your job, your body, your kids, your parents, or your spouse all belong to him. We simply take care of what he gives us to manage.

Paul wrote,

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:17, 23-24, ESV)

Whatever I do, I should do it for God. It does not matter if it is done on the mission field or at home. Everything I say and do should be done in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. I should do it with all my heart, as for the Lord and not for myself or for anyone else. I am serving Jesus when I do this.

It was a profound moment for me, and it changed the way I live my life. Yes, all these tasks still need to be taken care of, but now they are moments for worship. If I am trimming the bushes, I am tending God’s garden. If I am reconciling the bank statement, I am managing God’s money. If I am cleaning the little bits of toothpaste out of the sink, I am making God’s bathroom sparkle. I’m doing it for him, not for me, and that changes everything. I’m doing it for someone I love dearly. What a privilege it is to serve him in the mundane things.

Worship is no longer just an event on Sunday. It is that moment on Monday when I am emptying the dishwasher. It is that moment on Tuesday when I am cleaning the house for a small group meeting. It is that moment on Wednesday when I am grocery shopping, and I consider his faithfulness to provide food for me to eat. It is that moment on Thursday when I am writing a devotional. It is that moment on Friday when I am sharing an evening with friends. It is that moment on Saturday when I am fishing from the shore and marveling that I get to live in such a beautiful place. Every moment of my life is an opportunity for worship.

Friend, what is it in your life right now with which you are struggling? Perhaps, like me, you find yourself in a place where you are having a pity party over some challenge you are facing. That person, problem, or situation belongs to God, not to you. Our responsibility is not to balance all the competing needs, but to remember that they all belong to God alone. We are merely serving God in the process.

I close with the words of the psalmist David who wrote:

Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:2-4, ESV)

That day in my garage, I turned on some worship music and continued to paint. The sweat still dripped from my elbow in the heat, and my arm was still tired from dragging the paint brush across the concrete block, but everything had changed. Suddenly that humble garage had become the temple of the Most High God. I was painting his temple. I was painting his home. I was humbled by the privilege to serve him in this way, and I was worshiping him in the process. I was no longer trying to balance the work of ministry with the other responsibilities in life. All of my life had become ministry. All of my life had become a moment to worship, and I had been changed as a result.

Life is worship. Worship is life.

This article was originally published in the August 2015 Newsletter.

May 03

2017

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What Is Your “Why”?

I have an odd question for you. It is one that has been haunting me lately. It can be summed up in one tiny little word, but the ramifications are huge. My question is, “Why?” It affects every aspect of following Christ. For example, why do you share your faith? Why do you give? Why do you attend church? Why do you teach Sunday School? Why do you lead worship? Why do you sin? What is your “Why”?

Recently I was at a fast food restaurant getting an evening meal. Earlier in the day I had been working on clearing out the garage, and I was worn out. I slid into a seat in the corner of the dining room and set my tray of food on the table. As I ate, I quietly looked around the room. The restaurant was empty except for one other customer. One of the employees was wiping down the tables. As she wiped the table next to me, I told her how much I appreciated her service to me that evening. It was a simple thing to do, and her face lit up when I spoke to her. She thanked me for noticing. I did notice her. I had been watching her as she worked. Her face looked tired, and her gray hair suggested she was old enough to be my mother. I wondered what had happened in her world that had led her to get this job at this time in her life. As I watched her work, I felt something stir inside me, a longing I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

I looked over at the other customer a few tables across from me. From the corner of my eye, I watched him as he ate, and again, something stirred inside me. I felt compassion for him, even though I didn’t know him. I wondered if he had any relationship with God. I wondered if he knew that God loved him.

I watched the workers at the counter going about their jobs, and again, a melancholy emotion stirred inside me. By this point I was starting to wonder what was going on with me. Why was I feeling these emotions when I looked at these folks? I took a sip of my drink and pondered the question for a moment.

For some reason, I loved these people even though I didn’t even know them. I cared about their situations. I cared about the events in their lives that led them to this moment.

Those feelings were still bothering me as I left the restaurant and turned left onto the road back to my home. As I drove in the darkness, I couldn’t shake the feelings I had felt in that dining room. It occurred to me that for some reason, I just loved those people. I wondered if they had any relationship with God. I wondered if they knew that God created them so that they could know him personally. I realized that I saw them differently because I loved them.

Then I thought about my life and ministry, and this is where the simple question began to mess with my mind. Why do I preach? Do I preach because I like the way it feels to be in the flow of the Holy Spirit? Or do I preach because I love people so much that I have to preach, because if I don’t preach they may not understand that God loves them and wants to have a relationship with them? Can you see the subtle difference between the two answers? One response is motivated by how it makes me feel, the other is motivated by how I already feel toward others.

I am reminded of a verse in the Bible. It is likely the first verse you ever learned as a child. It says this, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, ESV). Tucked away in this short verse is the answer to the “Why” question. The reason God gave his son for us was because he loves us. God’s love for his creation was so great that he was willing to give up the life of his own son for our benefit. The “Why” was love, and it changed everything.

Now think back to the questions I posed in the opening paragraph.

Why do you share your faith? Do you do it because you think that is what a good Christian is supposed to do? Do you share your faith only as part of a visitation program at your church? Or do you share your faith because you love people so much, and you realize that if you don’t share with them, they may never know that God loves them and wants a relationship with them?

Why do you give? Do you give because you think that is what a good Christian is supposed to do? Do you hope people will notice your generosity? Or do you give because you love people so much that you want to share with them all that God has given to you?

Why do you attend church? Do you attend church because you think that is what a good Christian is supposed to do? Or do you attend church because you love the body of Christ, and you can’t wait to be able to spend time with those you love?

Why do you teach Sunday School? Do you teach Sunday School because no one else would volunteer, and you felt obligated to do it? Or do you teach because you love those kids so much, and you want them to understand how much God loves them as well?

Why do you lead worship? Do you lead worship because you like to be seen or heard? Do you want people to hear how great you can sing? Or do you lead worship because you love God with all your heart, and you want others to experience his presence in their lives as well?

Why do you sin? Is it because you love your sin more than you love God?

The reason the “why” matters is that it checks our motives. Our service should be motivated by our love. Whenever we serve, but we do not love, we are not really very godly after all. To be godly is to be like God. Remember, God loved the world, and then he gave his son.

I’m considering those around me in a new way now. I’m seeing people differently. I’m looking at them through a lens of love. I see past their imperfections, and I see a man or woman whom God created and loved. I love them too, and I’ll do whatever it takes for them to know God. Why? Because I love them.

This morning I did a little grocery shopping. As the cashier rang up my items, I said to him, “Thank you for your service to me this morning, I really appreciate it.” Suddenly he stopped everything and froze still, his gaze staring off into space. Then he turned his head and looked at me. For an awkward moment we just looked at each other, and then he said, “No one has ever thanked me before.” Again he paused, and then finally he finished, “I didn’t know how to respond.”

I smiled. That simple act of love had stopped him in his tracks. For me, it was a simple act of gratitude born out of love. I genuinely appreciated his service to me, and because I loved him, I wanted him to know it. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again: everything changes when you love someone.

So, my friend, what is your “Why”?

This article was originally published in the June 2015 Newsletter.

May 02

2017

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Serving the King of all Kings

This article was originally published in the August 2013 Newsletter.

I rounded the last corner of the route back to my home and picked up the pace of my cadence. I was finishing the last mile of my morning cycling and was looking forward to a cool drink at the house. I had gotten a late start that morning and the Florida sun was blistering hot in the mid-morning sky. The humidity was high from rains overnight, making the stifling air feel like a wet blanket draped across my face.

And that’s when I saw her. She was about 50 yards ahead of me headed toward me on the sidewalk. As I drew closer I could see she was breathing hard in the smothering heat. She was stooped over two small bags of groceries lying at her feet as she rested her weight on a cane. Her shoulders drooped. Her head hung down and she did not raise her eyes as I passed.

I was already past her as I squeezed the brakes and brought my bike to a crawl. I looked back over my shoulder and saw her form in the distance. Quickly I turned the bike back in her direction and pedaled up to her.

“Good morning!” I said, as I pulled up beside her and came to a stop. “It’s a hot one, isn’t it?”

“Sure is,” she replied as she glanced up at me.

I pulled off my sunglasses so she could see my eyes and I smiled at her to ease her mind. I’m sure she was wondering what this guy on the bike wanted from her. But all I wanted was to help her. As we talked, she told me that she was in her late 80’s and could no longer drive. She had no family in the area. Her husband died years ago after a bout with cancer. She was alone and had no one to help her. To get groceries, she had to walk a quarter mile to the grocery store on the corner. She would buy just enough so that she could carry them home. But today, the heat was winning the battle. Looking down at her grocery bags, I could see she had bought a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk. It was the milk that broke her. It was just too heavy. She didn’t know what to do. She had given up and wasn’t sure she could make it home.

I felt deeply for her. She could easily have been my Grandmother. “Why don’t you let me carry those groceries for you and I will help you get home” I said. She hesitated, glancing back at me, unsure if she could trust me. Finally she agreed. I picked up her bags and hung them on either side of my handlebars. I slowly walked beside her, pushing the bike, as she began to shuffle her way home.

It took nearly twenty minutes to walk that quarter mile but in those few moments she shared her story with me. She often glanced at me as she plodded along and spoke as if she were dictating her memoirs. Occasionally her eyes would dance as she described her husband and children. But then her eyes would drift to some point in the distance and a cloud would pass over her face as she shared in somber tones a tale of loss and trial. Finally we arrived at her home and she placed the cane against the wall before turning the key in the door. I followed her into the kitchen and set the bags of groceries on the counter. Before I left, I wrote my name and phone number on a slip of paper and told her to call me if she ever needed any help.

It was a small thing, a very small thing indeed. I had not spoken to a crowd in a packed auditorium. I hadn’t done a radio interview. I hadn’t done a concert. But what I had done was to serve the God of all gods. It was a small thing, but a very important thing. I was serving God.

Consider this verse:

“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27, ESV).

So many times we think that serving God is for pastors, missionaries, or other full-time Christian workers. Or we think that serving God means committing to help with some program of the church. These are all good things. But I don’t think it cuts to the heart of what God intended. I think it is much more.

Paul wrote, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ESV.

Once you understand that you have “been bought with a price”, then the idea of serving God changes. Being a servant is not something you do, it is someone you are. It is no longer a question of if you will serve God, but of what kind of servant you will be. Will you be an obedient servant or a disobedient servant?

Will you take care of widows and orphans? Will you give a carry-out bag of food or a glass of water to a homeless guy that is hungry or thirsty? Will you visit someone in prison? Would you ever open that extra bedroom in your home to a homeless person to sleep? How about your couch? Would you ever clear out a portion of your closet to give clothing to someone who had little or none?

Now you may say, “But Tim, some people make bad choices and there are consequences to those choices” and this is true. But serving others is not dependent upon the other person’s deserving it. It is dependent upon who you are, not who they are and you, my friend, are a servant of the most high God, if you claim to be a follower of Christ. Remember, you were bought with a price.

You might also say “But Tim, think of the risk” and there are risks for sure, especially if you serve to the extent of bringing someone into your home, which, incidentally, I have done. But are you aware of the risk involved if you do not? Consider carefully what Christ said:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. (Matthew 25:33-46, ESV)

The relationship I have with God should be evidenced by a lifestyle of service. If it is not, then I should question whether my relationship with God is legitimate. It is one of the key ways the Scriptures describe our relationship with God. He is Lord, or perhaps a better way to say it is that he is the Lord. He is the Master. We are the servants. But somewhere along the way, we in North America have forgotten this one simple truth.

The other day I sat in the parking lot of a church in New England with the engine running, the air conditioning cooling off the interior as I set the GPS for the place I was going to spend the night. I had just finished giving a concert at the church and I was tired. God had clearly moved during the service and it was satisfying to see. I was about to leave when suddenly my cell phone began to ring. I didn’t recognize the number, but saw that it was from my home area code in Florida. I almost let it go to voice mail and then at the last minute decided to answer it.

The voice that greeted me by name was old and feeble. My mind was racing to figure out who it was that was calling. Finally it hit me. It was the woman I had helped with the groceries! It had been months ago that I had walked her home but she had saved my number. Another heat spell had hit and she needed milk. She wondered if I could come over and drive her to the store. I smiled as I looked back at the church where I had just ministered. It was an important ministry I had just concluded, but another ministry event was calling, one that has a special place in God’s heart. I explained that I was in Maine and would be returning home the next day. I would be glad to help if she could wait long enough for me to get home.

I pulled the car out of the parking lot of the church and began to work my way down the road. After a night of rest I would fly home, to where a really important ministry event waited, where the next day I would have the privilege of serving the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.

Are you ready for your next ministry event? It could happen today. I pray that you will understand the privilege of serving God in the opportunities that come into your life on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and yes, sometimes even on Sunday. Love God with utter abandon. Love others selflessly. Serve the King of all kings.