JOY Week 4

Sabbath School Study Week 4

Joy in Serving

Introduction

Ever since I was a little girl there was a certain type of woman I yearned to be like.  She was strong, a leader, independent, and of course she was beautiful.  Not just beautiful, she was always perfectly put together beautiful.  There were several woman who fit the bill and I would dream about growing up and being just like these elegant creatures.   I remember watching Lady Diana like so many other girls and so admiring her grace and beauty.  Her status as Princess, and the world she had at her figure tips.  If her hair had been dark like mine, I’m sure she would have been the perfect specimen to try to aspire to be like.  I’m sure I have already lost the men reading this.  Guys I’m sure you can’t relate to wanting to be like Princess Diana, however I am sure there was someone that was powerful, smart, with the ability to change the word, that you have admired.  Maybe it was a president, or a sports hero, or even your father.

In this section, Paul has just finished giving us a list of traits that he wants the us to adopt.  He wants us to be:

•  Be like minded
• Have the same love
• Being on in spirit
• Being of one mind
• Be selfless, no selfish ambition or vanity
• Value others more than self
• Keep the interest of others first.

This list seems if not impossible, certainly it is incredibly difficult.  We are such selfish beings! As if that wasn't difficult enough he then continues and talks about being like Christ.  As we read this passage I want you to think about who you strive to be.  About who you have admired.  I want you to contemplate the place in life where you hope to be. 

Chapter 2: 5-7

⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness.

Ingredient # 8 Don’t strive for greatness, strive for Humility

Who is it that you strive to be like and why?  Be honest.  Who have you looked up to?  What drew you to them?  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus was on the same level as God, and he had every right to be the Savior and yet find a way to maintain his “Royalty”.  He didn’t.  He chose to humble himself and become a servant.  The opposite of great!  He chose to be born as human, in a fallen word.  He not only chose to be human, but then also to be born in a very humble poor family in a time when social status meant so much.  He lowered himself!
Is God calling you to stop wishing you could win the lottery, to stop wishing you had the beauty and grace of a Princess, or the brawn and wisdom of a great worrior and simply get on your knees and serve those who 
 need it most? 

ACTION!!!!!!
This week, find ways to serve others.  Do random acts of kindness, find people who need your help, pray about how God wants you to be a servant.  Each day ask how.  Each day look for ways to serve others.  Remember this is one of the ingredients for Joy.  There is know Joy in needing to be greater, there is great joy in service. 

Chapter 2: 8
 ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 
 

Ingredient # 9 Be willing to get Messy

 

What about us?  Are we willing to get messy?  In this passage Paul is asking that we be like Christ and Christ, well, he got messy.  He not only was willing to come and save us, but he was willing to come and live as a human being.  Frankly he didn’t sin but from a heavenly perspective he looked like a sinner.  Didn’t he?  Can you imagine the well intentioned angels who didn’t quite get it.  Here the son of God was willing to give up all his glory, his physical being to, to look like, to be accused of being, to dwell among, and to be brutally killed by, SINNERS!  I can almost hear them, “Shouldn’t he be at least something a little in between? After all it can’t be good for him to be mistaken for a sinner. I mean it is OK if he goes and rescues them, but he doesn’t want to miss understood, He shouldn't look like the sinners.”  Wait I think I have heard that before…  We as Christians protect our appearance all the time don’t we.  We don’t want to look like, or be mistaken as, or look like we are trying to  be like, sinners. 

If we are personally struggling with sin, and we are part of the church family we often find it better to keep quiet than to show what a mess we are in. After all, we have all seen sinners pushed away, haven't we?  We put a lot of energy into making sure we are "set apart."  Is there anything wrong with that?   

I’m not advocating everyone doing their best to look like the worldly world am I?  Not really.   

The question is are you willing to let go of the chance that you will be miss understood, even ridiculed, or put to death to serve the hurting world? 

Are you willing to get messy?


Can we humbly serve the dying world all the while maintaining our distance from the sinner?   

Did Jesus?

ACTION:  Don't worry about how you look, how you are being seen, what others are saying.  ONLY think about what God is calling you to do.  This week I dare you to get messy.  Share with us your stories! :) 


Chapter 2: 9-11

⁹ Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,  ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  ¹¹ and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father.

Ingredient # 10  Let God be your reward!

There is no question we all crave to be praised.  No matter what you say, it does feel good for people to let you know how great you did at something.  We all love to be rewarded.  We all love to have someone tell us how great they think we are.  Compliments are awesome!  Right?  Absolutely! 

When was the last time someone complimented you on something? 

How did it make you feel?

When was the last time you complimented someone?

How did that make you feel?

ACTION:  This week turn your need for affirmation, your need for being exalted over to God.  Every time you find yourself needing to hear a compliment, or every you find yourself doing something so you will be praised, turn it over to God and ask Him to be  enough. 

Look,  one of my love languages is “words of affirmation”  I love love love hearing that people appreciate me and what I do.  It is like nourishment to my soul.  Yet if I am doing things so that I will receive affirmation or if I am letting my need for affirmation interfere with the task God has called me to do then it is short circuiting my JOY!  Jesus let it all go. Was willing to get messing, was willing to be miss understood, was willing to be crucified, was willing to serve as a servant, and in the end God glorified him.  That is God’s job!  Not ours. 

NOTE!  I am not saying we should not compliment each other we should!  The difference is in what is motivating us and what is filling our need.  For both the answer should be Christ. 

So Princess Diana, is that the goal here?  This week I am going to do my best with God's help to let go of the need to strive for greatness, and be willing to do the little things, be willing to serve.  I always admired woman who were neat and put together.  Whose clothes established them as being a great lady, this week, I am going to not only let that go, but keep my focus on being willing to get messy.  This week instead of dreaming of being in a magazine and acclaimed for my great style and beauty, I am surrendering my need for affirmation and letting that be completely up to God.  

Oh Lord, these are three ingredients that are hard to swallow, and even harder to make part of who I am.  Lord in my quest to be better, great, your girl, I know I have kept from getting messy when messy is exactly what you were needing me to be.  I know there have been times when to protect my reputation I have not been willing to serve in the way you have wanted me to.  Lord give me the strength to humbly let go of trying so hard to look like you, and be willing to just surrender to you and serve.  There is a difference.  WWJD is great, yet even Jesus was willing to give up being like God (who he was) and serve us, yet I want to be like Him, and look holy (and I"m not ) which has kept me from serving. Lord today I want to surrender it all, and if there is any accolades to be heard let them come from you!  Amen.