"Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain."
Ps. 119:36

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
Phil. 2:3

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
Col. 3:12

i've been doing a lot of thinking lately about putting other's interests above my own. i know it's a Spirit thing. i've been digging deeper into trying to figure out who God really is and how He desires me to live. and thru it all i'm discovering that He is a giving God, desiring to be understood. He wants me to seek Him and what He wants. He wants my lives to match His in holiness. that's what God desires for my life.

me wants me to esteem others more than my wants, or perhaps even my needs. i'm learning that the more time i spend studying His Word, the more i long to be in communion with Him. i'm learning that Jesus' life was the ultimate example of what a servant looks like, and i am to follow in those steps, even to death. i'm learning that the devil has a plan for me, also: to destroy me and the Truth which rules in my heart. i'm learning that only thru Christ do i have victory over satan, and that i'm equipped with the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome satan.

God has opened my eyes to a man in our church who has a servant's hearts. he is not a high class, wealthy, always put together type of person. sometimes he's kinda scraggley and unkept. he's not a genius in knowledge, but he gets an A+ in servanthood. when asked to do something, he will always do the task without complaints or grumbling. he's humble, and tries to include others in conversation. when he speaks with you, he's genuinely concerned about what's happening in your life. he is a roll-model in my eyes; i'm blessed to know this man, even tho many members in our church don't see his fame.

steven gave me a ride to work this morning, so on the drive we discussed servanthood a little. (it's only a 7 minute drive to work!) both steven and i agreed that we'd rather have a father who is a servant, than one who is a genius. we'd rather have a dad who cares about the happenings of our lives than one who won't accept us unless we are excelling. we'd rather have a dad who teaches by example than one who bosses us around. we'd rather have a dad who loves us unconditionally than one who cares in their terms.

Father,
i praise You for opening my eyes to the example's of servanthood within our church. it's wonderful to see You move. i want to be a servant, God. i want to be the one others can look at and say, "she really knows what it means to be a servant. God has really changed her from the inside out." thanks for loving me and for caring about every detail of my life. thanks for drawing me to Your Word for comfort, wisdom, and support. You are my Dad, and i love You. let this child learn to follow in Your steps, even bowing down to love my enemies.
In Jesus' Name ~ Amen!

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*Mike *Laurel *Kim