As Jesus prepared to wash His disciples’ feet, He never said, “Men, I am now going to demonstrate servanthood—watch my humility.” No way. That kind of obvious pride was the trademark of the Pharisees.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Bible Characters
Feeling Used and Unappreciated
For a servant named Gehazi, working alongside a high-profile, greatly respected prophet like Elisha was a privilege. But at the same time, it was a particular position that brought about unique temptations.
Read MoreForgetting Your Own Good Deeds
Yesterday, we talked about what it means to “forget” when other people do bad deeds to us. Today, I want to address forgetting when we do good deeds to others. In other words, once our own good deeds are done, they’re done.
Read MoreGenuine Humility
When we think of what the great apostle Paul was like, the idea of humility isn’t the first one that jumps into our minds. Consider his own admission.
Read MoreTransparent Humanity
The great apostle Paul was just like you and me . . . he had a love for God blended with feet of clay. Great passion . . . and great weakness. The longer I thought about this concept, the more evidence emerged from Scripture to support it.
Read MoreA Model Servant
Perhaps the finest model, other than Christ Himself, was that young Jew from Tarsus who was radically transformed from a strong-willed official in Judaism to a bond servant of Jesus Christ—Paul.
Read MoreThe Cry from a Cave
The Cave of Adullam was no Holiday Inn. It was a wicked refugee camp . . . a dark vault on the side of a cliff that reached deeply into a hill. Huddled in this clammy cavern were 400 losers—a mob of miserable humanity. They came from all over and wound up all together. Listen to the account: Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered . . . . There were about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:2)
Read MoreBalance, Part Two
Both adversity and prosperity confront our equilibrium, but prosperity is perhaps the more challenging test. Today we look at another biblical person who rose to the top and kept his balance. The classic example is David. According to the last three verses of Psalm 78: [God] also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds; From the care of the ewes with suckling lambs He brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands. (Psalm 78:70–72, emphasis added)
Read MoreBalance, Part One
Two extreme tests exist that disturb our balance in life. Each has its own set of problems. On one side is adversity. Solomon realized this when he wrote: If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! (Proverbs 24:10 NIV) The Message paraphrases that verse: If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place. Adversity is a good test of our resiliency, our ability to cope, to stand back up, and to recover from misfortune. Adversity is a painful pedagogue.
Read MoreOpening to God
Before David closes hymn 139, he makes a final request of God in verses 23–24. The words are familiar to many Christians. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.
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