Praying To Have a Servant's Heart

By Jason, M.Ed., M.A.R., Headmaster

Loving Others in a Age of Self-Indulgence

"...not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers,
but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man." (Ephesians 6:6-7)

Sometimes I get frustrated with how much my children complain.  At times, it seems like no matter what we are doing or have done, they will find some problem or shortcoming and will launch into complaining and whining.  Then, this morning, I woke up, healthy and surrounded by my family, and I got out of bed, irritated at my sore back and the fact that it was Monday morning.  I was blessed to wake up in a nice home, and I walked downstairs grumbling in my mind because the kitchen wasn't perfectly clean.  Where do my children get this self-pitying, self-indulgent whining?  I guess I don't have to go very far to find that answer.

The problem with self-pitying complaining is that it focuses all of our attention on ourselves and keeps us from looking at and serving the real needs of others.  It is pretty tough to love God and love others when my focus is so strongly pulled toward my own "problems."  Growing up in the 70's, I remember well the old children's television theme song- "The most important person in the whole wide world is you and you hardly even know you."

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Ordinary People

By Chuck (Sharing Compassion)

While pondering the theme for this week's article, God actually placed it on my heart at our church service last Sunday morning. We have been talking about how God is able to accomplish many things and that day's message was on how God uses ordinary people.

I know we tend to look at the people mentioned in the Bible as special or "a cut above." In fact there is a children's bible that actually calls them Superheroes. Probably this is why we often feel we can never measure up and do God's work. Amazingly enough though all of the "heroes" of the Bible were flawed in one way or another. Lets look at some examples:

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What Does Jesus Look Like?

By Pat

Christians have always wondered what Jesus really looks like. Artists through the ages have painted their inner visions of Jesus, and alleged experts have debated and speculated on what our Savior looked like when he walked the Earth.

Well, the other day I was watching a talk show host interview a 12 year old boy who observed the great wastefulness of food while at a restaurant with his parents. He asked the manager what happens to uneaten, unused food, and the manager told him that the law requires it be thrown away. The boy, appalled, pursued the issue. He spoke with attorneys and local government and after much persistence and diligence he helped to change the law. In his area, restaurants are now able to distribute leftover food to the homeless and the needy.

As I watched and listened to this incredible child of 12, I knew with complete certainty that Jesus looks just like him, a red-haired, freckle-faced boy with a heart the size of Texas. Jesus also looks like the homeowner opening his home to a stranger in need, the teacher who hugs a crying child, and the neighbor welcoming the new family with a freshly baked plate of cookies and a big, genuine smile. You see, since Jesus is working through us, Jesus looks like us. I hope that someday, someone will say about me "Now THAT'S what Jesus look like!"

Got Boxes?

By MAD21

By now you all know what a fan I am of Samaritan Purse's program called, Operation Christmas Child (OCC). I have written before about the organization and the Graham's in a previous article. I was privileged with the opportunity to talk with a great woman named Stacey Wilson from OCC last month. The time of year to begin putting boxes together is coming very soon. Please read and consider how many boxes you and your friends and family could do this year.

How do you explain to people what you do for a living?

For the many people who pack shoe box gifts, when I mention that I work for Operation Christmas Child, their faces light up, and they start asking questions right away. For those who are not familiar with the project or Samaritan's Purse, I explain that I work on the public relations team for a Christian international relief organization that encourages people to pack empty shoe boxes with small gift items for needy children around the world - and that we share the Gospel along with those gifts.

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Serving Up Success

By Renee, LSWA

"The family that plays together stays together." I LOVE FUN! My family and I recently participated in an all day scavenger hunt. We had an awesome time being silly and focusing on the common goal: getting the most points so we could be the winners! How selfish of us. Well, not really. It was a game and the goal was to be the winner. But if having fun was the only thing my family focused on, I imagine that selfishness would creep in and kill the mood. As much as I love fun, it's not the only life lesson I want my children to learn.

How about the family that serves together? I believe serving others individually or with our families brings joy and a sense of purpose that I cannot even begin to describe. Our own 41st President was quoted as saying, "From now on, any definition of a successful life must include serving others." Regardless of politics, I think he got this right. Wouldn't it be cool if we could combine fun and serving? I think we can!

No matter what age you are, if your children are young or old, there are ways you can teach them the value of thinking of others needs. We are all constantly being bombarded in school, by the media, in the office or on the big screen by the mindset that "it's all about me." As parents, we can often unintentionally send this message to our kids too. As babies, the world does revolve around them, but eventually they have to learn to live as part of a family unit and in community. What better way to teach them this than to expose them to opportunities to bless other members of our communities.

Here are some simple ways to get you and your family having fun and helping others.

1. Serve a meal at a local soup kitchen.
2. Collect school supplies for a homeless shelter.
3. Walk your elderly neighbors' dog.
4. Bake cookies for the new family on the block.
5. Take a meal to a new mom.
6. Participate in Operation Christmas Child-one of my family favorites!
7. Serve at your home church in a ministry.
8. Adopt a road and do trash pick-up.
9. Read a book to a nursing home resident.
10. Send cards to our service men and women.

I could go on and on but I want to know your ideas. What do you and your family do to serve together?

Play together but don't forget to serve together. Joy and peace will abound.