Five Reminders That You Aren’t the Savior of the World As You Serve Others
“In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He existed in the beginning with God.
3 God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
4 The Word gave life to everything that
was created, and his life brought light to everyone.
5 The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
“Self less and Jesus more”.
That was my focus this past year.
Before you start heckling me with “way to be super theologically sound, Jenny”, I get that it should be an everyday focus.
This just became my anthem and heart’s cry for 2018.
I saw a pattern in my behavior and mindset that was unhealthy. I was so passionate about this mission of ministry I felt called to serve that it became all-consuming in my mental space.
My eyes became laser-focused on the vision I *had* to steward rather than focused on the Son, Jesus. The majority of my energy was showing up to get stuff done and I was distracted from the bigger picture unfolding all around me.
So, from this place of having walked through healing, and from this place of being a work in progress, I’m sending you these words today.
***
1. We live in this know-it-all, do it all, BE it all culture. Don’t get swept up in this “me-focused” train of thought.
It’s time we shift our eyes from me-focused to a He-focused theology.
Reading John 1:1 above, you may have a flashback to the first words of the Bible in Genesis 1:1 that says “in the beginning God created…”
Note: It doesn’t say, “In the beginning, God birthed us into existence.”
Although I think if you asked Holy Spirit we’d all be in agreement that you are super loved and pretty special.
***
2. Find freedom as you focus on how all-encompassing and present Jesus was, is, and will be.
“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God.
“The word” in this passage is a masculine noun that’s used towards Christ.
Jesus IS the Word of God. He’s an action, rather than an abstract idea.
Verse 14 goes on to read “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Creation,
fall,
redemption,
restoration
ALL POINT TO JESUS
***
3. When you look at the Bible as a continuous story, it all points to Him. We weren’t created to fill the gaps of broken humanity. We are the broken humanity.
But God.
God is an active, all-knowing, all-powerful God.
He’s the beginning and the end.
Jesus was, is, and will always be the hero of the story.
Through Him, we have received life-giving truth and grace upon grace.
The pressure is off to perform or strive.
The pressure is off to craft those perfect words or be that perfect person.
Yes, we can (and should) actively play a role in pursuing virtuous character through the work of the Holy Spirit. We should serve and support others as God leads. But that doesn’t make you the hero. God’s solution has always been the gift of Jesus.
Newsflash:
You can’t heal your son from cancer.
You can’t turn your atheist friend to Jesus.
You don’t have the ability to miraculously convict your preacher to stop spending $987 on sneakers.
***
4. Pressure is off. You’re not the hero of the story. Jesus is.
He sees the broken and beautiful situations before they even start.
Take a deep breath and exhale that freedom.
Now give those beautiful and broken situations to Him.
***
5. As a Believer, you get to model a selfless lifestyle as you aim to be the hands and feet of Jesus. But check your motivation in that.
what is our thought process rooted within serving? What’s motivating you?
Is it because we want to earn gold jewels in Heaven or add another name to your “I got this person saved” card? Side note: I really hope that card isn’t a thing.
Or are we living a self-less-Jesus-more mentality because we walk in a deeper understanding of the full story? The one where Jesus is the central character shining His light into our plot twists, pain points, purpose, and victories. From this place, we can serve wholeheartedly because we see Him as the solution.
Jesus wins and His light outshines the darkness.
God wants to use our Gospel-focused lifestyle of obedience to connect hearts to His. Being a person who views Jesus as the hero takes the pressure off of you to perform, but to rest and abide in how He leads.
Remember, Jesus is the beginning and the end and He fills in the gaps of the in-between. Continue to pursue more of Him and less of you, let Him take center stage in all you do.
Ask Holy Spirit, to show you your motivation in serving others and demonstrating your Christian faith... Is it rooted in having a hero complex or in Seeing Christ as savior?
Take some time to verbally thank God for all the ways you’ve seen Jesus as the hero in Scripture.
Feeling stuck? Open that Word up!
God is at work all around us (and in us), don't miss it!
written by Jenny Randle
