Why do we make excuses?

Many Christians make excuses for the lack of something in the spiritual lives. We may hear someone say: "I can't share my faith because I am a shy person" or "I don't know as much about the Bible as others " or "I am not perfect." 

While all of these statements may well be true, when we speak like this, we deny the power of God's spirit to work in the "ordinary-ness" of our lives. There are plenty of Biblical examples of people who used the same excuses we do, yet they eventually allowed the power of God to change their lives. 

Take Stephen as an example: Stephen was chosen as one of the 7 new disciples because “he was a man full of the Spirit and wisdom” and we see that when Stephen surrendered himself fully to Jesus, he “performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:8) However, if you read the rest of the story, you will note that he was initially chosen to be a kitchen-worker and administrator - solving the issues that had arisen in the distribution of food. 

“Stephen, the kitchen worker, stands tall in the annals of faith as one of those men who did much for God’s Kingdom. Clearly, God doesn’t need everyone to be preachers and teachers; he just needs ordinary people who will learn from Him and be willing to be used in extraordinary circumstances.” – NLT Bible commentary

Thought: What can we do for the kingdom of God?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

From heaven you came...

I am not sure if the song The Servant King is officially considered to be a Christmas Carol, but I truly believe it shares the incarnational message of Jesus, as well as Christ’s painful journey to the cross. The opening line reminds us of how God became one of us (John 1) even though his glory was initially veiled.

Graham Kendrick wrote this song in 1984 as the theme song for the Spring Harvest Bible teaching event. Graham, who is now 70 years old, found the theme of Jesus being a servant king very inspiring. He writes: 'It was a challenge to explore the vision of Christ as the servant who would wash the disciples' feet but who was also the Creator of the universe.'

Graham Kendrick is one of the well-known worship leaders of our generation and some of his most loved songs include: Shine Jesus Shine, Meekness and Majesty, Let the Flame burn brighter, God of the poor and Amazing Love. Enjoy these lyrics of the song and if you don't know the song please google it :)

From heaven you came helpless babe
Entered our world, your glory veiled
Not to be served but to serve
And give Your life that we might live

This is our God, The Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to The Servant King

There in the garden of tears
My heavy load he chose to bear
His heart with sorrow was torn
'Yet not My will but Yours, ' He said

Chorus

Come see His hands and His feet
The scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space
To cruel nails surrendered

Chorus

We bring our lives to you
A sacrifice for you
In view of love so true
We are changed, renewed

Let us remember that the innocent child, reaching up to the voice of Mary and Joseph on that cold evening in Bethlehem, was the same man who humbly surrendered as soldiers nailed this same hands to the cross.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Master or Servant

When you are 'out and about' today take note of how people are interacting with their Cellphones. It is a very interesting exercise. The thought that popped into my mind this morning was this: "Am I using my phone as something to serve my purposes and to make my life easier, or have I became a servant/slave to my phone." In essence am I the master or servant in this new relationship?

The thing is that phones are here to stay, even if we don't like it, but we need to wrestle with the role that they play in our lives. If we can learn to remain in charge and to use the device for our purposes, then they will remain an integral part of our daily interactions. However, if they start to demand more and more of my time and eventually 'call all the shots', then I need to recognise I have a problem.

What do you think?

Luke 16:13 - “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money (or perhaps cell phones)."

Living in Grace
D3LM3