Lionheart

So it has gotten to be that time–the time when invitees, family, invitations, flowers, rentals, photography, contracts, etc all start to close in around us.  The stress of the minute details has a way of taking away from the true focus of what this special day is really about.

I have seen it too many times–individuals who are getting married succumb to the pressure and the stress of what is supposed to happen on their day to remember.  Money issues, who to invite, who not to invite, florists, photographers, etc–all get in the way of what the wedding is actually supposed to be about.

As Mel and I are in our period of engagement, we have begun to focus on the details of that special day.  I have seen how our plans have somewhat shifted–it is so easy to get caught up in all of the “junk” that comes with a wedding–all the minute, miniscule details that, quite frankly, in the grand scheme of things, don’t really matter.   Yes, flowers are important-yes, photography is important-yes, what invitations we choose is important, yet, it is so important to constantly check our focus.

Last night, Jesus really impressed upon me the purpose of this special day.  He has really broken Melissa and I down in our views of August 27th. He has shown us that even though this is our day–its not about us–it is all about Him.  Too many times in our society, a marriage ceremony is viewed as a big party–thats not the intention–it is a day set aside to commemorate what Jesus has done in the life of two individuals.  It is a day that should be Gospel-focused; a day that is focused on what He has done for us and through us by bringing us together.  The wedding–the two being joined together–is a perfect representation of Christ and His bride, the church.  When we view that day as a reflection of Jesus, everything else gets a perspective shift.

When we view August 27th as a day where the Gospel will be presented in an amazing way through a marriage–EVERYTHING pales in comparison.  Rental fees, photography, decorations, food, flowers–all pale in comparison to the fact that the sole purpose of this day is to bring glory and honor to Jesus.  Wow!  It is absolutely amazing–when we get the focus off of ourselves and onto Jesus we are then free to lay it all at His feet and respond in an attitude of worship.  When its done for His glory, we can rest in the fact that everything is going to fall into place–everything is going to work out.

When we step aside and give it too Him, we can rest in what He will do.

Mark Batterson gives the true story behind the man honored on this day of green, shamrocks, and all things Irish.

Check it out:  http://evotional.com/2010/03/saint-patrick.html

Recently, Jesus has really impressed on me the importance of serving.  Serving is so crucial to the life of any believer; without it, we can become stagnant in our relationship with Christ.  Serving gives feet to the Word that we receive in our lives.  In essence, we are able to live out the teachings and instructions of Christ.  Whether volunteering one’s time at church or meeting someone’s needs on an individual basis, serving others is key.  I believe there are four things we must realize or have in order to effectively serve.

1.  It’s not about me.

This, I feel, is so crucial.  One has to come to a place of brokenness and humbleness in order to effectively serve.  One has to realize that no task or activity is beneath them.  When we do something, we have to do it unto the Father, not unto anyone else.  We have to always keep Colossians 3:23 in mind.

I feel it is always helpful to look to Jesus as the ultimate example of a servant.  Jesus’ ministry was built on service to others. Wherever He went, he was preaching, teaching, and healing.  His ministry consisted of meeting people’s needs and impacting their lives.  We are called to the same.  We have to realize that acts of service are not about ‘what’s in it for me’.  Rather, it is all about glory and honor to the Father as well as showing forth the love of Christ.  Our wants, desires, and preferences should be put aside in order to be Jesus to others.

Service is great because it takes our focus off of ourselves and onto other people.

2. Be Teachable

Another very important key to serving is to be teachable.  I have met many individuals who thought they knew it all when it came to helping others.  Ironically so, this does not help others.  One has to be open and receptive to learning about others in order to discover their needs.  When you can learn about that individual or the particular area you are serving in, you have the tools and understanding to serve that much better.  In addition, find someone who has served before and learn from them.  Nothing beats a good coach–someone that can share wisdom and understanding.

3. Patience

When it comes to serving others, we have to be patient.  Serving isn’t necessarily something that we can just jump into and get–it takes some patience with others and with ourselves.  We as a people, are very selfish, and because of this, we have to be patient in unlearning those selfish desires and characteristics and replacing them with a heart for others.  I know from experience, it is impossible to effectively serve while you are selfish.

4.  The Gospel

This one is my favorite, and I believe it is the most important.  Unless we have a direct encounter with Jesus and His Gospel, we cannot have a heart to serve others.  When we have an encounter with the Jesus, we are not the same.  We have a whole new outlook on things.  We no longer see individuals as ordinary people but rather as children of God.  We see them as Jesus sees them, and we can’t help but meet their needs.

I heard it put this way once–’We should never recover from the cross’.  Wow!  That is amazing.  I pray that I would never recover from the cross.  When we fully realize the magnificence of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we can’t help but never be the same.  We are changed from the inside out–we are humbled and broken.  Our only thing to do is to point others toward the savior that has so graciously saved us.  Furthermore, we can’t help but love on and serve others.