Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Example A or Example B?

As you progress in life (that being life, as in life lived, and your spiritual life), you either polarize yourself to the Biblical truths that were manifested by Jesus Christ, or you draw back to the world (what is the world?  See 1 John 2:16 ); would you agree?  As you progress toward Biblical truths you find yourself becoming less and less like the world, caring less and less about the world, and ceasing to define yourself among their standards.  This type of growth is not always quick and easy, it can often be quite painful.  As difficult as this progression may or may not be, it’s necessary that you draw nigh to Jesus, if you wish to live a: wonderful, peaceful, content, happy, joyful, stress reduced, complete, wholesome, holy life, while here.  If you do not desire that-then feel free to do whatever you please.  What God has given me this week is a singular Biblical example that so evidently contradicts a great majority of the teaching that you will find in this natural world.

“12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?  13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.  15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”  -John 13-12-17


            Please take a minute to consider with me the above scripture.  Jesus- consider his Resume, his pedigree, all that he knew and could do.  Now take into account the disciples, their Resume, pedigree, and all that they knew.  Furthermore, I think most can assume and decipher that when you wash someone’s feet-it’s not a place where you are going to find occasion to be prideful.  It’s a gesture of humility, of servitude; this is the example that Jesus left, and the lesson he taught with his life.  Contrast that with the teachings and testimonies of the world today.  Jesus said that “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.”  How many commercials do you see on TV saying the same?  How many billboards?  How many magazines, sports writers, news anchors…….college professors?  The clarion call of the world is happy are ye if ye do what’s best for you.  Happy are ye if you indulge yourself; eat, sleep, and rise up to play.  Please, take a step back and look around, do you not see a lot of people who are whole heartily embracing this: ME, ME, ME theology?  Of those people, how many are happy?  But then I look around, at a few, a very few, group of individuals following after the teachings of a man called Jesus, who left an example to serve and……they are HAPPY!  They are filled with joy, love, peace, and contentment.  These are not those that wish to be masters of their own lives, but those that have accepted that they are a servant to all, and to Jesus first of all. 
Imagine a household where everyone serves as Jesus served.  Imagine a church where everyone serves as Jesus served, imagine a country where everyone serves as he served; imagine a world where everyone serves as Jesus served.  Imagine if we followed his example.

Thought’s?
  please feel free to reply to pgcollins65@gmail.com