Terribly expensive...Luke 9:23

Luke 9:23

Can you recall Jesus's radical philosophy of being a servant to others? The basis of that statement is tucked away in His words:

He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23)

Following Christ as His disciple is a costly, unselfish decision. It calls for a radical examination of our self-centered lifestyles. Whew! That's one of those easy things to say but tough to carry out.

Let's see if I can break this down into smaller bite-sized chunks so we don't gag on it. When you look closely at Jesus's statement, a couple of things seem important. First, those who desire to follow Him closely must come to terms with self-denial. And second, this decision to give ourselves to others (taking up our cross) has to be a daily matter.

That's costly stuff. Terribly expensive.

If we take His words seriously, then it isn't difficult to see some questions that we must ask and answer ourselves, like:

Am I serious about being a close follower of Jesus Christ?

Do I think of others to such an extent that self-denial is becoming the rule rather than the exception in my life?

Is my walk with Him a daily thing?

Pray in the Spirit...Ephesians 6:18-20

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

—Ephesians 6:18-20 tniv

When we open the book of Acts in the New Testament, we see the incredible power of the Holy Spirit to help the early believers to proclaim the message of Jesus. Because the Holy Spirit lives in us and intercedes for us when we pray, we can pray in the Spirit, knowing that the Holy Spirit allows us to speak directly to God (Eph. 2:18) and intercedes for us beyond the power of words according to the will of God (Rom. 8:26-27). While we often trust this intercession and access to God to convey our own heartfelt needs to him, Paul reminds us of another incredibly important gift given us when we "pray in the Spirit": intercession for God's people to boldly, fearlessly, and clearly proclaim the message of Jesus. Why not dedicate time one day each week to pray for those who give their lives to proclaiming the good news of Jesus?

An opportunity to act...Matthew 5:43-45

[Jesus said,] "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

—Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV)

We often talk about the privileges of being a child of God - forgiveness, salvation, a future in heaven with him, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and ultimate victory when Christ comes. One of the greatest privileges we get, however, is the opportunity to act toward those who dislike and hate us in a way that reflects the character of God himself. Anyone can return hate for hate, but it takes a child of God to return a blessing and a prayer for his or her enemies.

Self-Interest...Genesis 3:8-12

Genesis 3:8–13

After Adam and Eve disobeyed God for the first time—and sin entered the world—it didn't take long for them to begin looking out for number one. Enter self-interest:

They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:8)

Adam didn't assist Eve. She really wasn't concerned about him either. Both got busy and whipped up a self-made cover-up. And (can you believe it?) they attempted to hide from the Lord God. Of course, you can believe it! To this day it's humankind's favorite game . . . even though we lose every time we play it.

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." (3:9–10)

As God probed deeper, Adam and Eve became increasingly more defensive. They hurled accusations at each other and then at God.

The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me . . ." (3:12, emphasis added).

The woman said, "The serpent . . ." (3:13).

The pattern hasn't changed, has it? Since the original scene, the history of humanity is smeared with ugly marks of selfishness. Unwilling to be authentic, we hide, we deny, we lie, we run, we escape. Anything but the whole truth! We ridicule, we dominate, we criticize. We cut a person to ribbons with our words. And then we develop ways to keep from admitting it. Here are a few:

"I'm not dogmatic; I'm just sure of myself."

"I'm not judging; I'm discerning."

"I'm not argumentative; I'm simply trying to prove a point."

"I'm not stubborn, just confident!"

All this comes pouring out of our mouths with hardly a second thought. And in case you live under the delusion that we are mild-mannered and gracious in getting our way, watch what happens in heavy traffic . . . or at the checkout stand in the local grocery store. I mean, we go for the jugular! All to the tune of self-interest.

Indeed, this should not be

Willful Sin...Genesis 2:25-3:7

Genesis 2:25–3:7

It's been my experience that before I can fully conquer any problem, I need to understand the problem as well as possible, especially its origin.

To do that with "self," we must go back, way back, to that ancient scene pictured for us in the second and third chapters of Genesis: the garden of Eden. What a super spot! Beautiful beyond description, a perfect, pollution-free atmosphere, luxurious foliage, fragrant flowers, crystal-clear water—that garden would make Tahiti look like a pigsty by comparison.

And on top of all the physical beauty, there was absolute innocence. No sin. Which means that Adam and Eve had a relationship that was free of hang-ups. The last verse in Genesis 2 verifies that: "And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25).

Naked. Laid bare. Open. Not just physically but emotionally as well. That explains why they were not ashamed. The Hebrew construction suggests they were not ashamed "with one another." There was this remarkable openness, a lack of self-consciousness in each other's presence. Talk about the ideal marriage! Their discussions, their actions, their entire existence were non-defensive, unguarded, and absolutely unselfish.

How could it be? No sin. Therefore, no selfishness. Until . . . You guessed it.

Enter the Devil with his alluring offer, and exit innocence with its pleasurable benefits (Genesis 3:1–6). And the result?

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. (3:7)

Don't miss what that says about their eyes. They were opened. There was a sudden, shocking realization they were naked. Seems amazing to us, doesn't it? You and I couldn't be more aware of those times when we are naked. Just a half-opened zipper makes us blush.

But remember the difference. Suddenly, those two became self-conscious. They'd never known those feelings before. You and I have never known anything else.

What we read here in the Genesis account is the origin of self-awareness, self-concern, and selfishness. And it all started with willful sin.

Heart of Compassion...Colossians 3:12-13, 17

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. . . . Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. (Colossians 3:12–13, 17)

It's as though You have written these words to us today, Father . . . indeed, You have. Though they date back to the first century, they fit the twenty-first century like a well-tailored garment. They touch every aspect of our being. Your words address our position in Christ and our practice on earth. They specify our struggles without overlooking the important, positive side of compassion, love, forgiveness, patience, humility, and gentleness. How we long to live as we say we believe. How far short of that we often fall. And we realize it again even this day, as we recognize the straight line of truth so clearly marked in Your inspired Word—God-breathed, preserved, and now provided for us in our language. Help us to live according to Your standards, day in, day out.

As You do soul-surgery in our hearts, may we allow the scalpel of the Spirit to pierce whatever area needs to be addressed. May each of us open ourselves to it. Guard us from hypocrisy. Few things are more detestable than a phony Christian! May we speak truth today. More important, may we live truth today. May we declare it to others in a way that makes sense. May Your Spirit take it from there and drive it home. May our lives and theirs be changed as a result of it.

It's in the name of Jesus Christ we offer our words of prayer. Amen.

Success...at who's expense? 1 Peter 5:5-7

1 Peter 5:5–7

Maybe we should confess that one reason we find it so hard to set selfishness aside and adopt the spirit of a servant is that we're driven by dreams of success. We want to be winners.

Face it; we live in a success-saturated society. Right next to the books applauding our selfishness are dozens of bestsellers telling us how we can be more successful. Dozens of books and magazines every year, along with scores of DVDs and hundreds of seminars, offer new ideas and new motivation techniques that have the promise of prosperity. Success is big business. No wonder thinking like servants is so hard.

Curiously, however, few ever address what most folks want (but seldom find) in their pursuit of success: contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, and relief. On the contrary, the roads that are supposed to lead to success are not only rocky; they're maddening. As the Executive's Digest once reported, "The trouble with success is that the formula is the same as the one for a nervous breakdown."

And what formula is that? Work longer hours, push ahead, let nothing hinder your quest—not your marriage or family, not your convictions or conscience, not your health or friends. Be aggressive and, if necessary, mean, as you press toward the top. You gotta be smart, slick, and sly if success is the bottom line of your agenda. It's the same old fortune-fame-power-pleasure line we've been fed for decades.

At the risk of sounding ultra-simplistic, I'd like to offer some counsel that stands 180 degrees in contrast to all the above. My suggestions will never appear in the Wall Street Journal or as part of the Harvard Business School curriculum, but they do represent a philosophy supported in Scripture.

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5–7)

These verses address three crucial realms related to true success: authority, attitude, and anxiety. And the best part of all is this: following God's directives will bring the one benefit not found in the world's empty promises—a deep sense of lasting satisfaction.

It's what we could call the forgotten side of success. And I would add that it is the success that will come to those who wish to develop the heart of a servant.