The Lost Sheep

Risk is a part of life.  Everywhere we go and everything we do involves risk.  Driving, flying and eating and drinking involves risk of the unknown.  Take for example the food that we eat.  Even with the cleanest kitchen, there’s a risk of food being contaminated and we could become sick from eating that food.  Risk is everywhere.

One of the key things that stands out to me in the parable of the lost sheep is the risk the shepherd takes while searching for the one lost sheep.  He leaves the 99 behind in search of one.  Our current business culture says that is not a profitable risk.  Chasing after one sheep while leaving the 99 in the open field could be financial disaster.  What if a wolf or some other predator came attacked the 99 while the shepherd was out searching for the one lost sheep?  “The risk is too great!” some would say.  With all the risk involved in searching for the one missing sheep, most would say leaving the 99 behind would not be a wise risk.

Not only that, what is gained from searching for the one lost sheep?  The best case scenario is that he brings back the single lost sheep.  There is no return on the shepherd’s investment.  He just starts off with the same number of sheep that he started with.  The investment world would see this as a poor investment. 

Aren’t you glad that our Father in heaven in not concerned about numbers, risk and investments as the business world around us is?  He’s concerned about the one sheep that returns.  Heaven rejoices when one is lost then becomes found.  Jesus says it plainly, “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”  (Luke 15:7).  For Jesus, it’s not about the investment but about people.  People are the investment.  The risk of leaving the 99 behind was not too great a risk for the one. 

You are the one lost sheep that Jesus was willing to risk it all for.  Not only that, we are called to care for the one lost among us, just as God cared for us.  Who can you risk it all to bring back to God?  Who can you reach out to?  Who has God put on your heart to share the glory of God revealed through Christ on the cross?

Being a Servant: It’s Not About YOU!

This is the final installment of the Being a Servant series. 

Have you met someone before that says all the right things, does all the right things but you later find out they did it all for the wrong reasons?  This is closely tied to what it means to be a hypocrite.  Basically what you say does not match up what you believe.  Here we find one of the greatest threats to a servant of Christ, making the service about you.

How many times have you encountered this.  That someone is serving on their hands and knees.  They’re doing the dirty work.  They’re trying to lead by example.  The problem is the entire time they are acting like a servant they are doing and saying things that translate to: “Look at me!”  “Only someone who is humble like me would serve this way.”  ”Look how mature I am.” or “Someone needs to notice me because I’m being a servant.”  The best way I can describe this is a self-centered servant.

But is a self-centered servant an oximoran?  Is it possible to be a servant and be focused on yourself?  Or is a servant by definition to focus on others?  Philippians 2:3-8 gives us some clarity on how we should act and how Jesus modeled being a servant:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

Being a servant cannot be about YOU!  We are not servants to help us sleep better at night.  We don’t give to others so we make ourselves look better.  We are servants because those around us need to see and experience the love of God.  They experience this by us serving them.  It’s the definition of agape love.  It’s unconditional.  When we serve others we want to bless them with the love of Christ not because we will receive something in return.  We give of ourselves because we are part of the kingdom of God not because we want to make our good deeds known.  The second we make it about us, our glory, our recognition, our fame we fail to communicate God’s love and in return have communicated an empty, selfish, self-seeking religion that does not reveal Christ.

Satan want to get a foothold on those willing to serve.  He desires to thwart our efforts to display Christ.  Sadly he attacks us by saying, “You deserve recognition.”  “Don’t they realize you’ve slaved day and night to help them?”  “If they really cared about what you did, they would appreciate you more.”  Satan is attacking us by making our faith, our actions, our service about what we will get in return.  We must fight the temptation to listen to Satan’s advances.  We must focus on Christ and His humility and His obedience.  We must ask that He gives us the strength we need.

Every time I serve, this battle is played out inside my head.  It’s a war the rages inside of me.  I would like to say that most days that Christ prevails.  But I’m sad to say that there are plenty of times my own selfish ambition gets in the way.  There is one things I’m sure of, even though I know each time I serve I face this battle, it doesn’t mean I won’t keep fighting.  With God’s Spirit residing in me, I fight daily to make myself less and make Christ more.

One last thing thought, C.S. Lewis describes a humble person this way, “He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.”  That’s what we are called to, not think about ourselves at all.

Related Articles

Being a Servant: The Example of Jesus

Being a Servant: From Toilets to Servants

Being a Servant: It Starts From the Top

No TV at the Hope House

Okay, maybe not exactly “No TV” but reduced television.  Alison texted me last week ago with this question, “I really wanna take the tv out of the playroom.  We can keep it but I just want to encourage them to play, read and write rather than watch tv.  I just really feel like it’s something we should try.”

At first I was  little resistant but agreed with her it was the right thing to do.  Since that initial conversation we have removed the TV from the playroom, disconnect the TV in our bedroom and canceled DISH network.  This also means that we lose our beloved high definition DVR.  On the positive side we did hook up the 6 foot antenna on our roof and still get all the local channels in crystal clear HD on the living room TV.

I’m proud of my wife for acting on her beliefs.  She has always had a passion to do what is right for our children.  Not only was this good for our children, she was willing to be an example to them by removing the TV from our bedroom and canceling our satellite service.   (On a side note canceling satellite service saves us $60 a month or $720 per year!)  The Christian faith is not merely about having beliefs but acting upon them and that’s what Alison did (James 2:14).

The question for today is this, what changes would you like to make in your house?  Do you need to evaluate your family’s TV habits?  Or is there something else you would like to eliminate to make more time for family?  How can you make those changes by leading by example?

For more information on some of the negative effects of TV on children view this article.