Thursday, November 30, 2017 Surrendering our Rights to Be a Servant: The Discipline of Service, Part 4 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Surrendering our Rights to Be a Servant: The Discipline of Service, Part 4 (Inspired by Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster)

“A natural and understandable hesitancy accompanies any serious discussion of service. The hesitancy is prudent since it is wise to count the cost before plunging headlong into any Discipline. We experience a fear that comes out something like this: “If I do that, people will take advantage of me; they will walk all over me.” Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we choose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us. But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable. (Foster, Richard J.. Celebration of Discipline: The Path To Spiritual Growth (p. 132). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.)”

Scripture:

Mark 10:42-45

⁴² And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever would be first among you must be slave^] of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Devotional:

Today, I am reminded of a deeply impactful worship song by Lincoln Brewster, Surrender:

I'm giving You my heart, and all this is within
I lay it all down, for the sake of You my King
I'm giving You my dreams,

Laying down my rights
Giving up my pride, for the promise of new life

And I surrender, all to You
All to You
And I surrender, all to You
All to You

It is my goal, and I trust all of ours, to be fully surrendered to the Lord. Taking on the office of parent is a daily act of surrendered service. Doing this job can work true humility to the surrendered soul and heart, and prepare us for further service and availability in a wider arena to others as well. Don’t be fooled, though: service to your family when your children are in your home is a deeply humble and surrendered place. We can believe the lie that, whether one is working or staying home, that serving our families is a less-than role in the kingdom. Not so, not at all! When we press in to raising our children in the fear and the admonition of the Lord, when we create a home that is Spirit-led and God-honoring, when we provide a safe and welcome place for our spouse and children to land and blossom into who God has created them to be, we are serving God in the most profound way possible. We are likely to also be led to spread our hands and hearts to the community around us and of course the Body of Christ. Where and how you serve is going to be uniquely tailored to who God made you to be, and might shift and change over the years as you grow and as your family does the same. I know that service and my idea of it have changed dramatically over the years. I know that I have needed to “give up my rights” repeatedly and regularly, and even now it is an ongoing choice to allow service to look the way it does. That’s OK, friends. Let’s just be where we are, and trust the Lord to work in us in His time. He’s got you, and me, and He will walk this out with and in us!

Prayer:

Thanksgiving:

Gracious Lord, I thank You and I worship You! I am so grateful today and every day to be Your child. I do come before You, surrendered, worshiping You. I wait at the cross, count as loss everything that I might have thought I needed, and thank You for providing what I really do need. You are worthy, Lord!

Confession:

I come before You open-hearted with my confession of need. I also confess (take time to share your struggles with the Lord. Mine today: I confess I am struggling to trust You and follow through with my business. I do not want to quit because of overwhelm, so I reboot today and confess this fear-based place in my heart. I give it to You and ask You to replace it with faith and obedience.)

Supplication:

I lift my circumstances to You. I recognize that You are the One Who causes my life to flow and for all things to work together for good, and I bring the good and the not so good to You. I ask You to intervene in (name areas of need, challenge and concern. Also note progress and victories! Mine today: Thank You for my health improving! I am deeply grateful for that. You are worthy, Lord. You are mine, and I am Yours. I also lift up my business. Today is my last work day of the week, and I ask that You will lead me as I work. Help me to find the things that I need, and also to be motivated and energized as I work. I also ask for further improvements in my health, and that my immune system would be strengthened.)

Intercession:

I lift my children to You today. You are their true Father, and You have an even greater desire for their good than I do. I lift up (name progress, victories, needs, concerns. Chloe today: Thank You that she is on Night 6 of sleeping all night!! Thank You, Lord! I pray for her sassy mouth that she will have heart-based self-control. Give my husband and I calm consistent firmness and help us not to be offended when she is spewing anger and hurtful words. Teach us to weather this with and for her by Your Spirit so that she will not carry this into current or future relationships. I also lift up her health and immune system and ask for increased health for now and for the future. For Christian today: Thank You for incredible progress at school and in therapy. I pray for his upcoming shift to daily in-home therapy and ask that You will prepare our home and our family for the inclusion of others each day. Let this time of family training be a time of growth and not a hindrance. I pray also for his health to increase and his immunity to be strong. I ask also again that he will BM and pee only in the toilet and that he will go independently when he feels the urge.)

Thanksgiving and Consecration:

I thank You, Lord for this time and ask that You seal it for Your kingdom. In Jesus’ Name I pray, amen!

Blessing and Benediction:

The Lord bless you and keep you!

Col. 3:15 - And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.