In the public restroom, I had this little revelation. What would life be like if each one of us were committed to picking up our own junk out of respect for others? In that restroom, which is 'shared' by everybody but 'owned' by nobody,I saw paper towels tossed in the corner, toilet paper thrown on the floor next to the commode, and urine puddled on the floor. OK, that's a little graphic, but hopefully you get my point! Not many people live that way in their own house because they feel some sense of responsibility for what is 'theirs' and they just don't want to foul their own nest!
In the world at large it seems that more and more of us live disrespectfully. We seem to be increasingly careless in the use of words and in actions that diminish life's beauty for others. We are losing our internal sense of being part of a larger whole, our grasp of our communal responsibility. That is one reason for the growth of 'big' government and all the petty laws that increasingly govern our lives. The inner discipline that would tell us where the 'boundaries' of life should be and that would cause us to give up some of our 'space' for the benefit of our neighbors is lacking. So, we look to our government to create those boundaries and to tell us where we can build our fences.
We are in love with ourselves and our own convenience! Happiness, we mistakenly believe, is found in total self-expression, greater consumption, and unfettered freedom. So we spend ridiculously, have sex with anyone we wish, get more, build bigger barns, and alienate ourselves from each other with wider and wider gaps. The paradox is that the more we insist on 'having it my way,' the less joy we find in the world. Why? Because true joy isn't found in selfishness, but in service!
Here's the most tragic thing of all, at least to me. Selfishness is the #1 problem even in the community where love is supposed to be the mark of authenticity. Yep, I'm talking about the church. Even in the church, there isn't all much 'community' because, all too often, we're trying to grab the power, gain some glory, and use Jesus for self-fulfillment instead of service. Hundreds of churches are destroyed every year, not by outside attack, but by strife on the inside. Somehow the Bible's teaching that the Church is a living organism, God's creation from individuals He brings together to do His work in a mutually beneficial way, is lost on many of us. Why? Because we bring our self-centeredness to church with us. This person says he wants only a certain kind of music used in worship. That person wants all the church's attention focused on one specific ministry. Another wants only to hear sermons about prophecy. Where that kind of attitude flourishes, you will find a church that is hampered by power plays, people trying to get other people to agree with them, to pressure those in leadership offices to do what they want done - now. The Word tells us that "where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." (James 3:16, NIV)
Jesus taught the ideal of community life and mutual benefit in a homely way. Here's the story. The disciples were fighting with each other about their relative importance. "Jesus loves me more than you." Can you imagine a group of adult men acting so silly? I can. I've seen it first hand! Yes, I have to admit that I've done it, too. Anyway, Jesus heard them arguing, so when they got to the place where dinner was served, they all reclined around the table. It was the custom of the time to provide a servant to wash the tired, dirty feet of those who visited your home. But, this group had no servant, and none of them was about to take that role voluntarily, so they ate at a table, smelling each other's stinky feet! After dinner, Jesus got up and took off his robe. He took a towel and prepared to wash feet. It was shocking!! He was the Master, but He was forgetting about His status, forgetting about public opinion, forgetting about personal advantage. When He finished the task, He said, "You address me as ‘Teacher’ and ‘Master,’ and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other’s feet. I’ve laid down a pattern for you. What I’ve done, you do. I’m only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn’t give orders to the employer. If you understand what I’m telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life. " (John 13:13-17, The Message)
Believer, would you like to enjoy more beauty, experience more love, feel the joy?Let me encourage you to forget about yourself and to start being a servant. Pick up your junk... and while you're at it, pick up your neighbor's trash.
When you're about to say something, think about how it will sound to the ones who hear your words.
When you're ready to take action, ask yourself, "Who benefits most? Me, or We?"
When somebody trespasses onto 'your' space, steps on your toes, fails to notice your needs - pray for the Holy Spirit to change your response.
Here's a word that challenged me this morning. Let the Spirit use it to speak to you.
"If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it. If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it. If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff.
Live generously. “Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that." (Luke 6:29-32, The Message)
______________________
Lord, you've handed me a tough assignment, asking me to be a servant.
Everything in my human nature screams for soothing and I love to be stroked and served.
The 'big lie' about being served as the way to happiness is so seductive.
I cannot consistently be a servant in my own strength, or by my own resolve.
So, I pray- change my very nature, O Spirit of God.
Break the grasp of selfishness in me.
Let me see again the depth of Your suffering for me, suffering I caused by my willful rejection of God and good.
Then, convict me sternly, compelling me by the lessons of grace,and drawing me with bonds of love, into a life of Loving service;that allows Your beauty to be seen in me and in the world which I help to create by my words and actions.
For Jesus sake, I pray. Amen.
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