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Sometimes when God wants me to change the way I’m doing life, He will bring certain circumstances into my life until I get the message. The longer and deeper my walk with Jesus becomes, the quicker I seem to respond to the Holy Spirits initial tap on the shoulder. I must add a disclaimer however, because many sinful area’s of my life seem to be deeply rooted, and I constantly thank the Lord for his patience with me.
At family camp recently held at Camp Clear-Waters just miles from Somerset, Wisconsin (those of you who could not make it missed a great time!) God spoke to me through a devotional time on Friday given by Pastor Craig Muri from Parkers Lake Baptist Church. It became clear to me that I needed to cultivate my attitude towards being more of a servant. Later that afternoon, the Lord brought before me a small test. A brother from NWBC had just arrived (he had to work Friday and could not make it on Thursday when camp started) and was sitting next to me in a lawn chair. It was a hot sticky day and he mentioned how good an ice tea would taste after the long hot day at work, followed by the trip to camp. In my human pride, I told him that he “was welcome to a cold Brisk” I had in a cooler down by my camper (about a block away), but he “would have to go get it himself”. Whoa! It wasn’t more than 3 seconds after the words left my mouth when the thought entered my mind, “Rich, what did you just hear earlier about being a servant?” I felt convicted and immediately got up and retrieved a cold ice tea for him. I could not believe my sinful selfishness in being lazy and not wanting to move from my chair! Now I see this exchange not as being a servant, but more of an exercise God put me through in learning how to become a true servant. You my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.—Galatians 5:13-18
Then of course just three days later, it happened again. My wonderful wife (the fetching Mrs. Ganzel) asked me to help her with a project that she is planning for the near future. I answered (right on queue), “couldn’t you get someone else to do that?” I didn’t want to be bothered with this request, and besides, I was sure that I had more important things to do. Then, as I sat down the next day and started to do some reflection on what God had been doing in my life. I was looking for some inspiration and or ideas for this article and decided my experience at Family Camp would be worthwhile sharing. Oops! As I was writing, the Holy Spirit brought my thoughts to the conversation with Rosie a day earlier. Hmmm, seems the old saying “practice makes perfect” would be aptly put here.
God calls me to serve others through him and for him. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11.
Is God talking to you?
Thank you Heavenly Father, for your work in my life and your continued patience with me in my spiritual growth. Amen!
