A private devotional life gives you an accurate view of the world. As day after day the pages of Scripture expose you to the blood and guts, smoke and dirt, of this fallen world, you are progressively freed from your hope that your fallen world, flawed people, or church will ever be the…paradise it will never be. You begin to die to unrealistic expectations…. The stark and descriptive honesty of the Bible, as it looks at the world in which you and I live and minister, has the power to kill your selfish dream that you will be able to serve your crucified King without suffering yourself.
–Paul David Tripp
The church, however, is a hospital in which nobody is completely well, and anyone can relapse at any time. Pastors no less than others are weakened by pressure from the world, the flesh, and the devil, with their lures of profit, pleasure, and pride…pastors must acknowledge that they the healers remain sick and wounded and therefore need to apply the medicines of Scripture to themselves as well as to the sheep whom they tend in Christ’s name.
–J. I. Packer
This is certainly a quote that applies to me, but I think it is helpful for all of us to remember who we are in the light of Who God Is.
God is the only One who is completely well and even if He has made me well, I can relapse at any time due to the temptations that constantly pull me away from Him. We must all continually apply the medicine of His Word to our minds, our hearts, and our lives.
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The Humiliation of God
Christianity is the only major religion to have as its central event the humiliation of God.
–Bruce Shelley
While other religions focus on the exaltation of their central figure, Christ was fully God and yet humbly took on human nature, humbly came to earth as an infant dependent upon others, humbly allowed Himself to be arrested, humbly accepted being beaten and mocked and spit upon, and humbly chose to die on the cross. Only after being humiliated (treated with dishonor) by those He came to serve and ultimately by His act of dying on the cross did the King of the Universe exalt Himself and again take His rightful place of glory in Heaven. The central event of Christianity is the dishonor and humiliation of our great God, and it only occurs because He desires to bring us to Himself.
Have you considered how wonderful this news is, that the King of Glory loved you so much that He was willing to die for you?
…the older you get, the more it takes to fill your heart with wonder and only God is big enough to do that. Not only is He big enough, but…He is also near enough.
–Ravi Zacharias
Pray that You would Recapture the Wonder of how Wonderful Jesus Is!
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You Have a Sacred Task Today
Your sacred task today:
The “layman” need never think of his humbler task as being inferior to that of his minister. Let every man abide in the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of the ministry. It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything. Let a man sanctify the Lord God in his heart and he can thereafter do no common act. All he does is good and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For such a man, living itself will be sacramental and the whole world a sanctuary. His entire life will be a priestly ministration. As he performs his never-so-simple task, he will hear the voice of the seraphim saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
–A. W. Tozer
Every one of us who are followers of Jesus; no matter if our paycheck is cut by a school, a hospital, a church, or any other person or organization; is called to work at our jobs and lives as if we are working for the Lord Jesus. Because He truly is our Boss, our King, our Lord. There might be other who have a role of responsibility over us, but ultimately Jesus is the One who gives us our orders. He tells us to serve as light in darkness, as salt in areas with no taste, as people bringing His joy into places of sadness.
Who are you working for today?
Have you sanctified Jesus in your heart and life in such a way that you now can do no common act?