September 6

“At times people will not respond as they should to the message God speaks through you.  Don’t become discouraged; it is a reflection of their relationship with God.  You are God’s servant.”  H. Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, 9/3

Blackaby always finds the right words to pry open my heart--and why wouldn’t he!  He’s one of those servants he’s talking about.  This is why his ministry has far-reaching results.  His ministry is God’s ministry because he knows he’s merely one of God’s servants.  The media today overlooks men like this and instead chooses to bring to our attention the men who have their own “ministries”.  These men are not God’s servants.  They may have the “talk” and do good things and have a great following, but they do not have a servant’s heart, and certainly, are not one of God’s servants.  However, before I go off on these people who make God look bad, I have to turn the spotlight on myself.  Do I do all things “as unto the Lord”?  Just because I don’t have the media following me around highlighting my life doesn’t mean I, too, can’t do great damage to God’s image.  Do the people I’m serving know that I’m serving God?  One way they will know this is by how much patience I have with them.  Another way they will know is if I give up on them and go find someone else to “serve”.  Thank you, Lord, for this reminder that it is You that I serve and because of Jesus Christ I can serve You as a friend.

“No longer do I call you servants [slaves], for the servant [slave] does not know what his master is doing but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.”  John 15:15