Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

In my universe, all the planets orbit around big, fat Planet Stephen. The governing law of this universe goes something like this: Stephen wants, Stephen gets. The interests of others? Nothing more than distant stars. Planet Stephen is by far the most important planet in the universe.

Then I come to scriptures like this that throw a gigantic monkey wrench into my universe. According to this scripture, God calls me to treat others as if they were more important than me. And that messes my whole universe up.

Have you ever considered the incredibly radical call of this scripture verse? What would it really look like to treat every person as if they were more important than me? Probably something like this:

• Being more concerned about serving and caring for Jen than relaxing, particularly after work.

• Putting aside my “important tasks” at work for the sake of serving those I work with. This may even mean doing mundane tasks that I would prefer not to do.

• Having a hard phone conversation with someone when I would rather be watching television.

• Hanging out with the person nobody ever hangs out with, and drawing that person into my circle of friends.

• Taking a genuine interest in other people’s lives. Making a real effort to draw others out in conversation.

• Being faithful to do what Jen asks me to do, such as take out the trash, rather than lazily put things off.

I could keep going with this, but you get the point. When interacting with others, my first question shouldn’t be: What do I want? My first question should be: What would serve this person most?

As I look at this list I’m aware of the utter impossibility of living in this cut-you-to-the-heart sacrificial way. Apart from the supernatural power of God, I can’t consider other people more important than me. I’m a selfish guy who likes doing his own thing. In my selfishness, I really don’t give a rip about what you want to do. So I’ll be turning to God and asking him to change me. That’s my hope.

What would you add to this list?

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart…(DT 8:2)

Trials squeeze our hearts and show what’s inside, as squeezing a sponge reveals the contents. The “desert” squeezed the Israelites’ hearts exposing grumbling, unbelief and assorted cravings.

After a long day last week, I came home to find a big spot on the carpet in the den. I wanted to throttle our dogs – I knew they did it intentionally to provoke me. They were let out in the morning but purposely held it, just so they could water the carpet while I was gone. I can see them snickering and high-fiving: “Wait till he sees THIS one.” It doesn’t do any good to rub their noses in it yelling, “Bad dog!” because by that time, they’ve forgotten it entirely. In fact, judging by their hysterical yapping when I come home each night, they completely forget who I am between breakfast and dinner.

The dogs squeezed my heart. I didn’t explode, but I didn’t rejoice either. Somehow by God’s grace, as I toweled up the mess, I began asking myself what my seething revealed about my heart’s cravings.

I crave order and control and nice possessions. I want relaxation – I don’t want to spend an hour cleaning the carpet. I want a hassle-free life. These things aren’t evil, but if I sin when I don’t get them, they’ve become idols. God helped me to turn to him for grace to serve with gladness.

God even uses dogs for my sanctification.

What’s squeezing your heart today? A major affliction or a minor irritation? What’s coming out of your mouth? Praise and thanksgiving? Or grumbling, self-pity, or anger? Remember, God tests us to reveal our hearts, that he might make us like Christ.

Photo by kerri no-o

Why am I glad that God created women?

1. So that we wouldn’t substitute Axe body spray for a shower (single guys, take note)

2. Without women, all our meals would fall into two categories: Hot Pockets and microwavable (wait, that’s only one)

3. Because guys stink at changing diapers

4. To keep us from wearing jeans until they can stand up on their own

5. To cuddle and coddle us when we get a mancold

6. To keep us from doing really stupid things, like trying to fix a running lawn mower

7.  To remind us that armpit noises and booger jokes aren’t as funny as we thought

What would you add to the list?

Doesn’t this strike anyone as a little odd?  Apparently this is in Japan, and the police are making sure everyone can get on to the train. Care to comment?

Have you read these posts?

Never Feel Condemned

Do you feel the glorious truths of Psalm 103? God has taken all of our sins away from us, as far as the east is from the west. Think of the worst sin you have committed. That sin is completely and totally removed from you by the blood of Christ. Think of the great number of sins that you have committed in your life. All those sins are removed an infinite distance from you by the blood of Jesus Christ…

Open Your Eyes

Imagine waking up one morning to find yourself surrounded by a swat team of thousands about to storm your house. It happened to Elisha and his servant. One morning the servant wakes up and figures he’ll get some coffee going then read the morning papyrus. But as he looks out the kitchen window, he sees the glint of sun on spearhead. They’re surrounded by the great Syrian army, whose assignment is to take out Elisha. A stab of fear pierces the servant’s heart…

Will My Daughter Be Saved?

But it’s when I look at my four-month old daughter Charis, that the rubber really hits the road for my theology. She is so beautiful, so precious, so innocent looking. I love her with an intense love, and care for her with all my heart. Yet scripture tells me that she is spiritually dead and an enemy of God (Eph 2:1-3). Scripture also tells me that she was born under the wrath of God. These are difficult things for me to swallow, but I believe that they’re true…

Expand your Prayer Life

Do you get distracted when you are praying? Or do you find that after 5 minutes you’re out of things to pray about? If you’d like to expand your prayer life, try using the Lord’s prayer as a pattern. Jesus never intended this prayer to be memorized and spouted off word for word in rote fashion.

Have you ever corrected someone just because you they ticked you off? You ask your husband to take the trash out. He forgets, like he always does. Your basement begins to reek of spoiled cottage cheese and old coffee. Your heart begins to reek of anger and impatience.

Why does he always forget to take the trash out? Can’t he be faithful in just this one area? This is sin, and I need to correct him on this! And so in your anger, you correct your husband with all the gentleness of a professional wrestler. I’ve been there.

Several years ago I heard Dave Harvey give a message entitled The Surgeon, the Scalpel, and the Saint In Sin, in which he said that the goal of all our correction should be to connect people back to God. Sin isn’t primarily against us, but against God. When someone sins against us, it hurts our relationship with them. More importantly though, it strains their relationship with God.

That’s why it’s so crucial to avoid correcting someone simply because they annoyed us. People can sense when we’re angry, and anger never produces godly change. In James 1:20 it says -

…for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

All correction should be rooted in the desire to connect people back to God. Our goal isn’t to get them down on their knees asking our forgiveness. Our goal is to see them experience the transforming grace of God.

So the next time you’re getting ready to correct your husband, wife, brother, or friend, pause for a moment and examine your heart. Are you correcting them because you’re angry, or because you care for their soul? Are you looking for an apology, or trying to restore them in their fellowship with God? Correction is important, but the heart motive matters as well.

+photo by dcJohn

This story is incredible. Talk about sportsmanship! Thanks to the guys at FCA Doing Sports God’s Way for pointing this out to me.

In my early years as a pastor, I had a “me against them” mentality.

My job was to whip the saints into obedience against their will. Since they really didn’t want to serve God, I had to guilt or pressure them into it. I’d say things like, “Come on, let’s worship God like we really mean it.” How self-righteous I was.

I actually required our members to hand in “Accountability Forms” to incite them to do their devotions. A few years ago, a woman from our church was cleaning her attic and found one of her forms. One entry said, “Didn’t have devotions today. Too exhausted after having my baby.” Arghhhh - I was the pastor from Gahenna. Incredibly, she’s still in our church.

Mercifully, God used Ezekiel 36:26-27 to change my perspective forever.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”

This was revolutionary, and changed my whole view of God’s people. Now, by God’s grace, I have the following presuppositions about believers:

They love Jesus.
They want to obey him and walk in his ways.
They want to worship.
They want to become like Christ.
They don’t love sin or want to sin.
They want to change.

Why do I have this confidence? Because if someone has been born again, God has given them a new heart. He’s placed his Spirit in them who moves them to love and obey him.

Like me, they battle indwelling sin and temptation. Like me, they fail. But at their core, they have new hearts that love Jesus.

This makes a huge difference in the way I serve God’s people.

I no longer try to whip them into obedience, but seek to lift up their eyes to see Jesus, who redeemed them, is for them, and loves them unceasingly. I want to remind them that Jesus will complete the good work he began in them. I exhort them to obey God because his Spirit’s working in them. And by God’s grace I’m patient with slow progress (both theirs and mine), knowing God has given us hearts that love him.

Photo by AKMA

Did John the Baptist ever get jealous of Jesus? I bet he was tempted. Check out John 3:26 -

And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness - look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”

Just a short time before this John the Baptist was the toast of the town. People were flocking to him by the hundreds, all eager to repent and be dunked in the Jordan (hence John’s nickname). John was the evangelical rock star of the day, and his ministry was flourishing.

Then Jesus comes along and everything changes. Jesus heals festering lepers, puts life into rotting corpses, and preaches with heart-riveting power. People aren’t so interested in JTB any more. The success of Jesus takes away from the success of John.

Yet how does John respond to all this? You’d think he might throw a pity party and go munch on some grasshopper comfort food. But he doesn’t. He says:

The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease

At a wedding, the groom is the center of attention. Friends of the groom stand off to the side and joyfully let all glory fall on the groom. John knew that Jesus was the groom of history, and John found his joy in seeing Jesus magnified, even at the expense of his own success. John was happy to see himself grow smaller in the eyes of the world if it meant Jesus would become more famous.

There’s going to be many times when we’re surpassed by other people in realms of serving God. Someone will come along who teaches children more effectively, or does a better job leading small groups, or is a more effective worship leader, or writes better blog posts, or plays drums better. That’s why it’s crucial for us to cultivate John’s attitude of humility now.

We exist to glorify Christ. If someone else can do it better, let them. Let’s rejoice when others surpass us spiritually. God will be glorified and we’ll be filled with joy.

+photo by dariuszka

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