"Thus the secrets of
his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will
worship God and report that God is truly among you" (1
Corinthians 14:25)
The other day, Thien asked me to help him edit
an email he was writing to a group of people. The result seemed to
be just what he wanted and the email was sent. Later the same
morning, I was struggling with the adjustment on my chair. Someone
had changed the chair into what was, for me, the wrong position.
Thien helped me find the right adjustment lever, and now the chair
is where I need it to be.
From those small examples, we catch a glimpse
what the "body of Christ", the church, is supposed to be all about.
Each person born into this world is given skills and abilities that
are needed by others. Those who are "born
again" (John 3:3, 7) in Jesus Christ, receive as an amazing
Bonus, the Holy Spirit of God, Who gives unexpected gifts that are
useful to those in need. We become able to help others through Him.
God has deliberately and lovingly created us in
such a way that we need: 1) Him, and 2) each another. When the
human baby is born into this world, it needs - EVERYTHING! Most
grow and then spend years of apparent self-sufficiency. As we get
older, however, we are surprised to once again slip gradually or
suddenly back into acute need. An often-heard comment from an older
person in a convalescent home is, "I
never thought this would happen to me!" The second thought
is often left unsaid, but is even more important: "Why
would Godallow this to happen to me?"
The real secret to life is that we are actually
NEVER "self-sufficient," but merely pretend to ourselves and others
for a time that we can meet our own needs, or be "sufficient" for
someone else. We were designed to see our need of God through
physical needs in this world. “Denial” is common: We don’t want to
be needy, and simply decide in the face of all evidence to the
contrary, that we are not.
The alcoholic personality, the abusive person,
the one who finds solace in drugs - all compulsive people have this
in common: Hidden deep inside is a need to be perfect in words and
actions, coupled with a gnawing subconscious recognition that we are
really not perfect at all. The effort to deny we have needs and are
not perfect is a waste of time. We must finally see our need of
Him, and our need of each another.
The Lord will reveal us to others, first with
the intention of repentance - we must see our need to be changed.
Our second need is found in the hearts and lives of those around
us. They need to be changed also. Once you have been made new in
Christ Jesus and are filled with God's Holy Spirit, others will see
Him in you and want Him, too. Hence our Scripture for today: "Thus
the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his
face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you"
(1 Corinthians 14:25).
The context of that Scripture for today is
interesting, for it's part of a three-chapter analysis by the Holy
Spirit of God, through the Apostle Paul, of spiritual "gifts" that
are given to those in the "body" of Christ (the "church"). Ordinary
people are given extraordinary abilities to perceive, understand,
and help others, in ways not previously anticipated.
Chapter 12 of 1st Corinthians is an
examination of “spiritual gifts” as they are seen in the lives of
those who come to the Lord. Chapter 13 is a sobering reminder that
the love of God is infinitely greater than any “gift” we might think
we have. Chapter 14 again looks at the gifts themselves, and their
application within and without the church. The immediate context of
this verse is the gift of prophesy, in which the very heart and
intentions of God are revealed to mankind.
The heart of God is revealed in Jesus Christ,
who became our servant, giving Himself to us, even to the point of
dying for you and me. We see in places like Matthew 11:29, that
Jesus is “gentle and lowly in heart,”
a Person in Whom “you will find rest for
your souls.” Paul observed that Jesus “made
Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant…”
(Philippians 2:7). And we are to become “like
Him” (1 John 3:2).
The gift of prophesy is often shown to us in
more than words. It’s hard to believe, but it has been four years
since Bob Douglass went to be with the Lord. It was in Bob that
some of us saw, in his actions and through his life, what it means
to be a servant-leader. We saw Bob trust in the Lord, in gentle
strength. God revealed His heart in the man, showing us how to
live, and then, in his last years, how to die. The man not only
gave to others, but knowing that others need to give, too; he was
willing to receive. Bob was not perceived as a leader, but in the
light of Philippians Chapter Two, he was just that. There are
plenty of people in the world who want to lead, but few who are
truly willing to serve. God spoke through Bob with the gift of
prophesy, not in words, but in actions, teaching us how He would
have us be.
Let God show Himself
through your life. Let His actions be yours. Stop being “right”
all the time, and RECEIVE others in the power and love of God. Help
the person you don’t like. Listen and respond to the person who
seems to not like you. Perform little acts of kindness for those
around you. If you can help someone write an email, do it. If you
can make a chair more comfortable for somebody, do that also. If
you are willing to let the gentle strength of God flow through you
in a manner that others will see Him and want Him, too, then do it,
for the world needs what you have to offer in Christ Jesus!
Something of God’s
heart was shown to me in Bob, and it was though him that I saw how
we are to serve one another. As in our Scripture verse for today,
we will be revealed to those we meet, with the intention of causing
others to" worship God and report
that God is truly among you" (1 Corinthians 14:25). When we
love the Lord, others will see Him in us, to the end that they are
drawn to love Him, too. Become His – right now.
Lord, I love You. I
do not know how to be a servant-leader. I simply come to You, open
and willing. I’m sorry that I resisted You in the past. I trust in
You now, Lord Jesus. Let others see You in me and want You, too.
In Jesus Name. Amen.
