A Selfish Revelation

Yesterday while I was at work at my “other job” (waiting tables at an Italian restaurant) I came to the realization that I’m an incredibly selfish person.

When food is up in the window I will skip over other people’s orders that have been there longer than mine in order to take my food out to my table (even though we are supposed to run food for everyone and in the order that it came up).  I get annoyed when a fellow server reaches over me for the ice scoop and begins filling glasses with ice while I’m still at the drink machine filling my glasses, even though I often do the same thing.  My concern for the success of my fellow employees or for the company as a whole only goes as far as it directly impacts me and the amount of money that I make.

My selfishness extends far beyond the workplace and my desire to maximize my income, regardless of how it affects those around me.  My selfishness extends deep into my spiritual life.  I want to be spiritual and grow closer to God for my own sake, but not for the sake of others.  My desire to help others grow spiritually really only goes as deep as my desire to make myself feel good for helping them.  It’s not the least bit altruistic, but rather it is incredibly selfish.

I’m reminded that, as the prophet Isaiah said, our “righteous acts are filthy rags” to God.  Even my good deeds are an extension of my selfishness, and as such, God doesn’t see them as good, he sees them as filthy rags.  Indeed some good may be done through my actions, but it is in spite of myself, not because of me.  It is only by the power of God through me that good comes of my selfishly motivated spirituality.

I’m so selfish that I often keep the good news of Christ to myself.  I have been saved by God’s grace, but instead of sharing this with others and introducing them to Christ so that they also might be saved, I keep quiet.  If I truly loved and cared for those around me, I would be sharing the message of Jesus Christ every chance I got.

As a human, I have a sin nature and I am motivated by a desire to do what benefits me.  Being humble and acting selflessly is not a natural thing to do.  I need to learn to consider the needs of others and place them above my own.  I can’t do this on my own.  Only God can transform me and help me to become the being that He desires for me to be.

Heavenly Father, help me to overcome my selfishness.  Help me to see people and care for them and their needs, instead of placing all of their value in how they can help me.  Make me to be more like your son Christ, who put others ahead of himself.  Allow me to see the needs of others and give me a desire to help people for their sake, and not for my own.  Make me into the person you want me to be, motivated by love, and not by selfishness.  In Jesus name, amen.

Christ! No more, no less.

Today on my way to work I popped my earbuds in and cranked up my audio Bible (exciting, I know).  As I have done a lot recently, I listened to the book of Colossians.  The book is the perfect length to get my from my apartment to the restaurant where I work, and it's message has been on my heart a lot recently, so it's something I've listened to almost daily for the past few weeks.

Every time I listen to this book, it is the end of the first chapter that speaks to me the most.

"This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me."  Colossians 1:26-29 (The Message)

The part the stands out to me the most is the line that says that the message of the gospel is "Christ! No more, not less."  I feel that too often Christians forget that the message of the gospel is about Christ.  Too often we clutter it up with debates about historical accuracy, morality, apologetics, abortion, gay marriage, or Republican vs. Democrat, and we forget what the gospel is all about.  Apologetics and morality are important, but not at the sake of Christ, and his crucifixion and resurrection.

We need to always remember that the most important thing is Christ.  We need to spend less time arguing about politics and whether or not contraception is morally permissible for Christians, and spend more time sharing the love of Christ with people that need to hear about it.  Instead of telling women who consider abortion how evil they are we should tell them about the unexpected love of Christ for them and the life growing inside of them.  We need to stop telling homosexuals that they are ruining our country and that allowing them to marry will ruin the institution of the family, without first telling them about God's unconditional love for them and the redemptive blood of Christ.

I hope that I never ignore important social issues, but I also hope that I never lose sight of what is most important.  If my conversations can always come back to the cross, then I have done what I am called to do.  The power of the gospel is found in the empty tomb, not moral prohibitions.  God created us for heaven, and Christ came to save us to heaven.  The message is one of hope and love, not terror and torment.  Jesus' death and resurrection restores the relationship God created us for.  While it does save us from the fire of hell, it more importantly saves us to the glory of heaven.

We need to always be aware that the message is simple: Christ!  No more, no less.  May the story of Christ dwell in the front of our minds, and drip off our lips.

Eating Alone

Today I was at what I call my "other job," working part-time as a server at a well known chain Italian restaurant.  At one of my tables was a man, probably in his late 20's or early 30's, who came in to eat by himself.  We have a lot of people that come in and eat alone, and as a 26-year-old bachelor who occasionally eats out alone myself, I typically don't find anything odd about people eating solo.  For some reason today though, I felt my heart breaking for this single man eating alone.

"Who was he?" I wondered.

"What is his story?"

"Does he know Jesus and have a relationship with him?"

Questions like these began to run through my mind as my heart felt heavy for another human being whose eternal destiny might be in jeopardy.  I began to quietly pray in the side station, not knowing where he stood with our Creator.

As I took his food out to him and brought him drink refills I began to chat with him a bit.  We were slow today, so I had some extra time to stop and talk.  My primary intention was simply to connect with him and let him know that he wasn't alone.  At the end of his meal I brought him his check, and we are supposed to give every guest what are called "Guest Connection Cards."  We are supposed to write a little message on one side, then ask the guest to leave us a comment on the back.  No matter what I write on the card, I always end it with "God bless."  Today was no exception.

After he had left I went and retrieved the card from the table.  He had left a note on the back thanking me for my service and for the great food, then he signed it "God bless. 1 John 3:16."  I was relieved to know that this man wasn't alone and that his eternal destiny in heaven was assured.

I knew that 1 John 3:16 was a familiar verse, but I couldn't recall what it was off hand, so I pulled out my phone, opened my Bible app, and quickly did a search.  Everyone is familiar with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  In my opinion, 1 John 3:16 is an equally important verse for Christians to know, and one that may be nearly as recognizable, even if the reference isn't always known.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

As Christians we are supposed to follow the example of Christ, and 1 John 3:16 tells us that we ought to lay down out lives for our brothers, just as Christ laid down his life for us.  Most of us will never have the opportunity to actually lay down our life and die in order to save the life of another person.  However, we do have the opportunity to lay down our lives for our brothers.  Every day we have the opportunity to lay down our desires, ambitions, pride, and fear; and instead pick up the cross of Christ and share our faith with others.  When we deny our own desires for the sake of others we are laying down our life.

As Christians we have been given an unimaginable gift.  Not only have we been saved from death by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but we have been given a message that can save others as well, and God has chosen us to be His messengers.  We have one primary responsibility as Christians, and that is to share the good new of Jesus Christ with those who do not know him.

We have two accounts from scripture of what Jesus' last words were before ascending into heaven.  One comes to us from the book of Acts, when Jesus tells his disciples that they will be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8b).  The second and more well known account of Christ's final words is commonly know as the Great Commission and it is found in the book of Matthew.

I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
Matthew 28:18-20

This is THE Cause of Christ, and this is the cause that all Christians are called to.  This is what we ought to be doing.  Sharing this message with everyone we can is how we lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  The message of Jesus Christ is so overwhelmingly beautiful and powerful that we cannot sit around and keep it to ourselves.  It is so true and transformational that we should be doing everything we can to take that message to a world that needs to hear it.

I'm sick and tired of seeing Christians gather in church buildings waiting for the lost to come to them. Jesus didn't say to sit around, build buildings, and run programs.  He told us to "GO!"  Church isn't a building, it's what Christians do outside of that building.  It's what they do the other 575 hours each week when we aren't at church that really matters.  I want my church to be filled with broken people looking for healing.  I want my church to be filled with lonely people in need of companionship.  I want my church to be filled with sinners in need of a savior.  And I want people to leave my church building every week excited about sharing the good news of the gospel with everyone they meet.  I want their hearts to break, like mine did today, for strangers and friends alike.  I want them to be so convicted by THE Cause and so overwhelmed by God's love that they can't help but lay down their lives for their brothers and share the message.

This is what life is really all about as a Christian.  It's not about getting the things that you want.  The only way to truly live is to die to our own desires, ambitions, pride, and fears; and to pick up the cross of Christ and share the good news with everyone we can.  We have been given a gift.  Let's not keep it to ourselves.