Eyes of Clarity

John 12:26 “Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.” In all honesty, I had no idea what the Lord was attempting to convey to me through this verse as I read it for the first time, the second time, and even the third time. Even after prayer and meditation, still I was left dry and without words. Then the Lord told me to read Hebrews, which is something He has been urging me to do for a quite a while. Immediately, I was drawn to Hebrews 12:10-11 which says, “…but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Discipline has been a reoccurring theme for me during these past few weeks, whether it be from being disobedient or simply from not wanting to do what has been asked of me. Being rebuked is something I have nev...

1 Corinthians 12:14-15 “ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.” Simply spoken, even when we feel as though we do not belong, that does not mean we are allowed to quit. Each one of us has a vitally important role in the body of Christ, just as the foot plays a vitally important role to the body. Without the foot, the body would be off balance and we would not be able to walk. Without the ability to walk, how would the will of God be fulfilled? It wouldn’t. Similarly, we must be willing to submit to the calling the Lord has placed on our lives without being quick to reject it. His plan is perfect, and even if it is something we are not accustomed to, if it is in His will, it will pan out for our good and His glory. I despised the majority of my time as a nurses aide, and looking back, I realize now that I was relying on stre...

Romans 15:1 “We who are strong ought to bear with the fallings of the weak and not to please ourselves.” Hebrews 6:10 reminds us, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.” Our God is faithful to His promises, rewarding those who are humble, who become weak to win the weak, who bear the burden, and who love selflessly. However, we as humans are deceiving as we do almost everything to benefit ourselves in one way or another. Especially when it comes to others, helping someone can sometimes quickly become a personal gain that we use to make ourselves seem superior to the one whom we are helping. However, we are called to love others the way in which Christ has loved us, selflessly. To love selflessly is to humble ourselves and love without gain, bearing the burden of another simply to encourage them in their battle and allow them to recognize that they are not alone. Life is difficult as ...

Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.” To be free in Christ does not mean that we can use our freedom to continue in sin. Yes, Christ’s love is abundant and His grace is sufficient for when we do fall short, but when we surrender our lives we must understand that change is inevitable. As Pastor Mike conveys in his presentation of the potter and the clay, when we surrender our lives, Christ is then able to center us in His perfect will and begin the process of removing the “gunk.” This is the most difficult part because pain and suffering comes with letting go of those things we hold on to that we do not want brought to the surface. However, being honest with God regarding the things we are struggling with is a key component in allowing Him to change us from the inside out, but it begins with us. He is only able to do as much as we allow Him to. Will we surren...

1 Corinthians 9:22 “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” In this scenario, Paul is speaking to the Corinthians regarding how he uses his freedom for the sake of saving others. To win as many souls as possible, he must be adaptable to any circumstance, submitting to the role he must fit into to minister to those in need. Christ meets us where we are at, which means we must meet others where they are at, too. Everyone’s walk with the Lord is different, and as disciples we must learn to minister to others in a way and a manner that they will be capable of receiving. This does not mean we are belittling, or even bettering ourselves in any way, it simply means that we must become what someone needs for the sake of Christ. Philippians 2:3 says, “…in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” When we value others ...

Ephesians 5:21 “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Christ calls us to submit to one another out of respect for Him, but often times we ignore this because, well, why should we have to submit to those level with us? Submitting to those around us not only helps with making rational group decisions, but it also can help solve conflict in a more hearty manner. Being recently placed in our teams, every one of us will soon learn to humble ourselves in a way that will help us grow individually as well as with each other. It is not easy to work with people which whom have severely different personalities, as we have already begun to experience. Although our personalities may differ, one aspect of our lives must always remain the same and that is Christ at the center. If we lose Christ at the center, we will lose the ability to submit ourselves to one another and falling apart will become inevitable. However, with Christ as our focus, we are able to practice love, and with...

Hebrews 13:17 “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” Romans 13:2-3 states, “The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.” Regardless of how we may feel about leadership in any particular circumstance, we must remain obedient because when we are disobedient, we are falling short of the Word of God. Sometimes, as followers, we can be ignorant towards the position that leadership has and what that title actually means. Leaders are not only responsible for those who are under them, but they also must ensure that they are always setting an example that is parallel to the Word of God. We only see what those in authority choose to display,...