Marshall Mabry - Undignified Worshiper of Jesus Christ

Patience seems to be the the prevalent prayer request I am receiving this week. Although we need to exercise it everyday, this generation’s tendency is to want it “now.” (i.e. Some of us get aggravated when we do not get immediate responses to our to our phone messages; not to mention dealing with our area’s traffic folly.)

We all have agendas to keep and to honor. They are important to our perception of Christian character. We all want our Christian witness/character to stand for truth, honor, and moral and spiritual responsibility. However, whenever our agendas get in the way of love, no matter how noble, no matter how important, we are out of sync with the Holy Spirit. Our soul’s purpose is to love God and love one another — to share God’s love. We must resist the temptation to allow external perceptions of oneself to deprive someone or “ourselves” of God’s love. For we are never more like Christ, than when we lay our lives down for love’s sake.

I believe patience is born out of the hope we have in Christ. The exercise of patience develops our faith, and most importantly makes us instruments of His love. If you find yourself, lacking patience; stop! – be still, breathe deeply, meditate upon His grace, then call upon the name of Jesus. He is our ever-present help in times of need. As David says in the Psalms, He is our fortress, strong tower, our shield, our refuge, he will uphold us by His power and in His love.

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8 (NIV)

Why would God give us life? Why would he create us from nothing and allow us to breath, see, smell, taste, touch, have feelings, think, and to give us a will of our own? Our enemies would have us constantly ask the question “What is our purpose in life?” The short, simple answer is “to learn how to love.” Truly love — the way that God loves us.

Jesus said all the law of the prophets was summed up in this “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength… and, to love your neighbor as yourself.” It seems like a pretty simple purpose! Throughout the Bible God tells us of His great love for us. I’ve heard it said that the Bible was God’s love letter to us. The message of love is so obvious in His Word that many times we miss it due to our over-emphasis on concentrating on the rules and regulations governing our religious behavior.

No matter how simple it may seem — our life is a day to day journey to love. Love is how we express our worship. We will spend our live’s trying to fathom God’s great love for us, surrendering our selfishness and sin one day at a time. Love is why we were created. Love is the only true thing we leave behind, but most importantly, it’s the only thing we can send ahead of us into eternity. Love is what makes us shine and brings glory to God.

“But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48

“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 (NIV)

Hey Praise Teams! Is it about serving or playing? We are called to serve. It’s not about what we do, it’s how we do it and who we do it for. God is not interested in our musical prowess – what instrument we play, or how well we perform. He’s more interested in how we are serving like His Son, Jesus. If playing music is the only way one believes he/she can serve — there might be an idol problem.

People are not going to remember the last song you performed, but they will remember you praying with them in the hospital or being present at a loved one’s funeral. Ministry means to ‘minister.’ If you are not ministering to anyone other than yourself then you are not in God’s ministry – your in ‘self ministry.’ Beware! This is slippery slope for any Christian getting caught up in their own self-righteousness.

It is greater for Christ’s sake for us to not get our way and still remain thankful, than to be blessed and lulled into a false sense of comfort. We are to “mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice.” That means to show compassion, mercy and empathy towards others; “Cry when they cry and laugh when they laugh!” For we do not have enough friends when tears beset our soul and we do not have enough life to rejoice alone.

“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:2 (NIV)

Has God put you in a leadership role? Has He placed you in a position of influence? Has He put you in charge of being a steward over His talents and gifts? I would have to say “yes” in all counts. If you think hard enough, there is somebody who looks up to you; there is somebody that your actions influence and the fact that you have breath means you are a steward over the gift of your life.

Jesus word’s concerning our Kingdom acceptance and entrance are very specific, “Well Done! Good and faithful servant!” “Faithful Servant!” “Servant!” Though we have leadership roles, we must be servant leaders. Our influence is never greater than our honest, outward example of patience and humility — especially through adversity. Worrying about what you look like on the outside has a dangerous seed of pride lurking to tempt your demise.

Our way is broad and leads to destruction. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. He said it is a narrow path and few find it. Christian! Always remember you are a servant! Serve, especially “the least of these” — for your attitude should always be that you know yourself to be the least among them.

O Lord have mercy of me! Chief of all sinners!
How low am I! and How great Thou art!?
In myself, I am so unworthy of all You give
My righteousness is filthy
My holiness is merely a errant, fruitless journey for personal glory
It creates a space between us filled with self and sin
Only in You will I find my worth
Only in You will I wear your righteousness
Only in You there is no distance between us
For You alone are holy!

1 Corinthians 13:7
7 Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Control, competition, superiority, dominance, self-righteousness or just plain pride are all enemies to Christian love. Some would argue that they are necessary at times to create order from chaos. But in the perfect unity and harmony of the body of Christ, there is only one God, one Lord, one Jesus.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Sadly, we live in a broken world which only allows us to see in part what we need to see in order to be perfected in the body of Christ. The church, it’s institution and administration serves as an icon, a symbol of hope and righteousness to a sinful world. When it ceases to give life to the dead, bring light to the darkness, heal the wounded, free the captives, and bring hope to the hopeless, it takes on the distasteful, unattractive appearance of hypocrisy. We become the prophesied recipients of Jesus’s warning in Matthew 7:21-23: English Standard Version (ESV)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

When we meet Christ face to face what shall He say to you? To be known by Him is to “give a cup of cold water to the least of these.” This revelation of Christ for us implies sacrifice, submission, trust, and love. A sacrifice to journey to a place where ‘cold’ water can be found. A submission to His will working in you to minister to people you believe to be less than yourself. To get underneath them! A trust that Christ is always with you from the beginning unto the end as you minister to the thirsty! To love them enough to go to a cross a die for them! We are not to do these acts of kindness as if they are for an earned payment or reward, but we enjoy laboring through our works of providence from a Christ-changed and renewed heart. The sacrifice of your life, your pride, your will, and your way are necessary to hear “Well Done! Good and faithful servant! Come and dine with your Master!”

“But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.” ~ Matthew 12:36

In the end, our lives are the sum of our words. We each sing a unique song with our lives. Every word spoken from our lips either sings a beautiful, resounding chorus, or blares dissonant, dark turmoil. Because of God’s mercy and grace through faith in Jesus Christ, our life songs will always be filled with words of encouragement, kindness, peace, joy, and love.

“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” ~ Colossians 3:8