You can trap a bear simply by putting something of interest in a box where the opening is the size of the bear’s paw.  Once it grabs the item, the bear’s fist no longer will fit through the opening and the large animal is now captive.  Paul writes of his tendency to do the same:

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.”  Philippians 3:7-9, The Message

Don’t you just love his graphic description?  Paul is basically saying he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but instead of a relishing the sweets, he realized it was nothing more than dog dung.  Why?  Because it kept him from the one thing he wanted more than anything else: to embrace Christ and be embraced by him. 

My three-year-old gives the best hugs.  He’ll start fifty yards away, yell out, “big hug!” then come bolting in my direction.  I drop everything as he comes barreling towards me and prepare for his embrace.  Within seconds, he nearly knocks me over as his body quickly gets enveloped in mine.  I savor those hugs.  They are so worth dropping everything for.

If that is what a hug from my little beast is like, can you imagine what it’d be like to be embraced by Christ?  Tears trickle down my cheeks at the mere thought.   I think I’ll drop some dog dung in preparation.  How about you?

The past is in the past. I’ve often struggled with this line of thinking because, personally, I struggle with letting things go. So the passage of scripture that we are looking at this week stumps me. Paul writes the following:

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…. Philippians 3:13”

I believe two things happen when we look back (in the past), we either marvel at our accomplishments, or we dwell on the mistakes. Neither is good because the result is often that we become stuck in the past. We fear moving forward because of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, or we fear moving forward because we might not achieve the success we did in the past.

After reading some commentaries on this subject and meditating on these scriptures I believe what Paul is saying is that we are not to focus so much on the past that we miss what God has in store for the future. It’s important to remember and reflect—especially on the great mercy and grace God has shown to us. But the key is to not become so focused on the past that we get stuck there.

Here’s a silly illustration. Picture in your mind that you are driving your car. You are driving down the street in your town going 40ish miles per hour, but instead of looking out the window ahead of you, you are looking in the rearview mirror for the whole drive? Yikes! Remind me not to drive when you are on the road….. Seriously, would any mature driver do such a thing? No way! We would miss what was going on ahead of us. And missing what’s happening ahead could be disastrous.

Friends, I believe Paul has some very important advice in this scripture. He does not want us to be so self-focused that we miss what God is doing around us. Isn’t that what being stuck in the past is really about—selfishness? When our focus is on ourselves it is off of God. Moving forward means focusing on God and trusting that He holds our future.

I find great comfort in knowing and claiming that, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).” He is the God that reached into my past and gently moved me into the present. And He is the same God that will walk with me into the future and show me the way.

It’s time to live unstuck.

Regret is a relentless warden.

For years I lived captive inside his prison. Steel bars made up of “What if” and “If only” penned me in, interfering with my ability to live on the outside. With both hands I tried to bend my history into something more pretty and pristine, without the pain, complications and reminders of where I’d been. But Regret wouldn’t let change a history already written.

At times I wonder how Paul—once Saul—managed to live without regret. In all his writings, I don’t here him pining away about what might’ve been. I don’t read his self-loathing for years of misdirected passion. How did he forgive himself of his murderous past? And how did he forgive so many others who tried to wreck his life? He had plenty of reasons for regret, plenty of opportunities to wish for a life and legacy that looked different than what it was.

But Paul didn’t see it that way all.

“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him.” ~ Philippians 3:8-9a

Within Paul’s proclamation lies the secret to my release from Regret’s prison:

If the ugliness in my past and the failures of myself and others led me to the feet of Christ, then my legacy is a beautiful thing indeed. The history I longed to changed is the same history that brought me into a deep and enduring knowledge of the God who rescued me. In releasing the vision for what could’ve been I was finally able to see what God had done. And continues to do.

And in the letting go, God finally set me free.

Whether you’re a murderer of Christians, or a woman with a messy past, your regrets don’t have to own you.

Gain Christ, lose the rest. It really is that simple.

Safeguard: a precautionary measure, stipulation, or device; a technical contrivance to prevent accident

We have so many safeguards in place.  Annual physicals detect health ailments, life insurance provides for your family in case something happens to you and we can even add emergency contact numbers to our drivers licenses.  Many of us are protected against the larger things in life, but what if we could guard ourselves against the things rob us of everyday joys?  Wouldn’t you love to have a “precautionary measure, stipulation or device” to guard against:

1) Jealousy

2) Discontentment

3) Anger

4) Greed

5) Anxiety, and

6) Unforgiveness?

Fortunately, such a thing exists and it you don’t even have to enroll for a policy.  Look close at Philippians 3:1 and you’ll find the prescription:

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord!  It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.” 

Sound too simple?  Give it a try.  Think about something that fuels one of the categories above.  You can take a minute and let your blood start boiling.  Now, rejoice in the Lord.  Thank God for your health, good relationships, the freedom to read and study His word freely or whatever it is that is most significant to you right now.  Let yourself really stop and think about this as you sincerely and genuinely thank God.

Remember the thing you were thinking about before?  Yeah, me neither.  Pretty good safeguard, huh? 

As I’ve mentioned before I find the book of Philippians so applicable to everyday life, and find myself sharing many thoughts on everyday life in my household when I write my posts for the Intersection. Last week Michele shared some humorous thoughts about her boys and the infamous fight for the front seat during car rides. This week I’m going to give you a glimpse into sisterhood and the infamous arguments that often occur in our household of girls.

If you didn’t know better you might think Isabelle (my youngest daughter) has two mothers. That’s right—two. I am one of them—the mom her birthed her, and then there is her nine-year-old older sister Maddie, who often takes on a motherly role with Isabelle too. This mother line is often crossed on weekday mornings as we are rushing around to get out of the house for school. It goes something like this:

Me: “Izzy, did you fill your water bottle and pack up your homework?”

Izzy: No answer….

Maddie: “You better get your stuff packed up, Izzy. I don’t want to be late for school. And get your socks on too. It’s time to go.”

Izzy: “I am HURRYING and YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, MADDIE!!!!!”

And on that happy note, we are out the door ready to start a glorious day.

I had to chuckle a little bit as I read the following passage in Philippians:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. Philippians 2:14-15”

Especially the part about shining like stars in the universe. I have to say that we are far from shining stars in the morning. Perhaps a better description would be “dark clouds in the universe.” Can you relate?

Throughout Paul’s ministry he weaves in the instruction to be set apart from the rest of the world. This passage of scripture is no different. He is instructing the believers in Philippi to be blameless and pure and without fault in a generation that is crooked and sinful.

Funny how not much has changed from centuries ago when these scriptures were penned. The same holds true about the world we live in, and that same timeless instruction is relevant for us today. Notice how Paul says so that you may become blameless and pure. It’s not something that happens over night. It’s a process. And I’m convinced that it’s a process we will work on refining our entire earthly lives.

Are we alone in the process? No! Has God begun a good work in us? Yes! Will He complete the good work in us? Absolutely! (Philippians 1:6)

Then let’s cover ourselves with the mindset of being shining stars. Let’s tap into the strength that only God can give us, and make a way through the dark clouds.

I thought the wars over riding shotgun–the front passenger seat–would end when my boys exited elementary school.

Unfortunately, no. My boys are now 13, 17 and 18 years old. One is old enough to vote and be tried as an adult. But still the battle over who gets to sit in the front seat of my too-old truck continue. Yes, even this morning.

Why is calling shotgun important? Why is sitting up front for a drive that won’t last more than 7 or 8 minutes matter so much? Is it really worth all the arguing and manipulation to secure the seat on my right?

It reminds me of two brothers and a mother determined to snag a throne on either side of a kingly Christ. When the other disciples weren’t looking, mama and her boys approached Jesus with a proposition: “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.” (Matthew 20:21)

In the face of Salvation, they worried about position.

Of course, we do the same when we invest in a friendship because of who she knows. Or when we manipulate a meeting because of the connections it might provide. Or when we dive into a ministry because of the status we’re seeking or the recognition we crave. We may not be calling shotgun in the car or asking for a throne next to a Savior, but we’re putting way too much emphasis on position and not enough on relationship.

Paul reminds us that Jesus had every right to claim a position, every right to call shotgun, but instead chose the backseat, a position of humble servanthood at the feet of God.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature[b] of a servant …” ~ Philippians 2:5-6

In the kingdom of God, the moment you start vying for position is the moment you lose it. Better to focus on kneeling and serving, especially if you want to capture the attention of a Savior.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”  Philippians 2:3, NLT, emphasis mine

Remember when Big Idea was just that?  Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber taught kids important spiritual lessons through the one food group children readily dismiss?  So what happened to it?  It grew.  Tremendously.  3,300% in three years.  So they set bigger, better goals that would land them on lists such as Fortune 500.  Executives forecasted even more growth and revenue.  Millions were spent to meet those predictions, yet they never came true.  Instead, Big Idea filed for bankruptcy, squishing the tomato into ketchup.

In an In Touch interview, Big Idea’s founder Phil Vischer answers the question “why do you think God would allow this” by saying “because I made the work I was doing for Him more important than my relationship with Him.”  His response scares me because it so easily could become my answer, too.  All too often I’ll get so excited over something I believe God is calling me to that I race towards it, asking God to bless my work while leaving Him behind. 

My mentor recently shared her perspective on this topic.  She’s come to liken her life to baking.  God is the Master Creator and could easily accomplish everything He wills and purposes.  But, just like she could bake cookies that turn out better than when baking with her children, God prefers the quality time spent together in the kitchen.  When God calls her to something, she is humbled and inspired that her Abba Daddy wants to “bake” with her.

Which will you be?  A CEO, pastor or stay-at-home mom striving to impress others or a sous chef in the kitchen with the Maker of the Universe?

Over the summer my last living grandparent passed away. My grandmother’s health started failing in December after she suffered a fall that broke her hip. It was difficult watching a strong woman who had lived 97 years independently now have to rely on the care of others. She fought hard for her life, independence, and dignity the last seven months of her life, but it wasn’t until some very crucial questions were answered that she felt she could be released from this life and run into the arms of her Master.

In a sweet deathbed conversation with my mom, she wanted to know if her great grandchildren were Christ-followers and if they had confessed Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Thankfully my mom could look her in the eyes and answer that question with a firm YES! It was then that I believe my grandmother felt the freedom to go home and be with Jesus.

One thing that amazes me about Paul is his love for the people that he hated and persecuted for many years prior to his conversion to Christ. In the last part of Philippians chapter one, we see the evidence of that love. Paul’s future is unknown at this point in time. He does not know whether he will return to Philippi to see the church he loves so much, and he has a few important thoughts for the believers in Philippi to consider.

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” Philippians 1:27

It is one thing to have our personal faith in Christ worked out, but it’s a whole other when it comes to our loved ones. Until we are on our deathbed, or facing an uncertain future, I don’t know if we can ever fully grasp the urgency in wanting to know that those we love are followers of Christ, nor can we grasp the peace that comes once we do know.

Paul could face the uncertainty of his prison sentence knowing that the Philippian people were like-minded in their faith and standing firm in Christ. As for my grandma, well, she passed away knowing her child, two grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren are like-minded in their faith and standing firm in Christ. Kind of brings new meaning to the phrase, Rest in Peace.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain …” ~ The Apostle Paul, Philippians 2:21

As a child, the thought of heaven baffled me. I’d consider the word “eternity,” that never-ending stretch of days. I couldn’t conceive enjoying something that would certainly be like one incredibly loooong church service. A perfect church service, maybe. But what, exactly, are we going to do? Forever is a very long time.

My brain still struggles to wrap itself around the expanse of eternity. In his book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn says our lack of anticipatory joy is a result of our gross misconceptions about heaven. We don’t understand the exquisite beauty, love and joy that will overtake us once we’re living in the light and presence of our God.

When I read Paul’s proclamation above, I’m envious. I think he is closer to that accurate vision of eternity than I am. Although I love God with my whole heart, though I desire to both know Him and be known by Him, I’d probably fill in the blanks of Paul’s sentence a little differently:

“For to me, to live is ______________________ and to die is _______________________.”

To live is to be with my children. To die is to miss out on their lives.
To live is to be married and enjoy my husband’s companionship. To die is to lose true love.
To live is to make provisions for our future. To die is to leave an uncertain legacy behind.
To live is to celebrate. To die is to see the party come to an end.
To live is to savor the people and things I have on earth. To die is to go to heaven and leave them behind.

There’s nothing wrong with loving family, celebrating life and being financially responsible. But have I set my eyes on eternity? Am I clinging to this life with both hands, or do I remember that the best is yet to come?

“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body …”

Oh that we would be torn! That we would carry within a vision and longing for eternity that trumps every moment with a wave of anticipation for what is to come! How we love and live now is determined by what we believe is waiting for us then.

Take a minute to be as honest as you possible can. First, how would you fill in the blanks today? Second, if someone looked at the way you live your life, how would they fill in the blanks for you? And third, will you stop right now and ask God to give you a life-changing vision of eternity?

What’s on your bucket list?  Sky-diving?  International travel?  Learning a foreign language?  It seems we all have at least one more thing we want to do before our time on earth is over.  Some of us purposefully have a long list, somehow hoping it’ll keep us here a bit longer.  We try to push death off as long as possible, fearing this final enemy.

But not Paul.  He wasn’t morbid, but was fully aware of his own mortality as he wrote, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body” (Philippians 1:21-24).  Here’s Paul saying, “I’m chained and imprisoned.  I’ve watched other people who believe in God be brutally murdered for their faith and I know the same might happen to me.  In fact, I would even welcome death because then I get to be with my best friend, Jesus.  But, if I die, I won’t be here anymore.  I won’t be able to continue in my hard work of telling as many people as I can about the freedom found in Christ.”

It’s a bucket list that makes me reevaluate mine.  In fact, it causes me to look at all of my priorities again.  Do I show such eagerness to live for Christ?  Am I excited to face suffering, abuse and hardship for the sake of glorifying God?  Or do I profess a faith in God that will only remain steadfast as long as He amply provides for me and protects me from all harms? 

Maybe its time we start to live like we’re dying.

Is it possible to spread the gospel message without fear?

For the majority of my life I would have answered that with a big fat NO. I approached spreading the gospel, well not even spreading, just uttering a peep that I was a Christian, with fear and trembling. Wearing the occasional cross necklace and posting a KLOVE bumper sticker on my car were my witnessing tools.

But now it’s different. I don’t know if times are changing, or if the change has happened in me. Maybe a little of both. I sense an urgency like never before to not only make sure my life is in order spiritually, but deep concern for those close to me who don’t walk intimately with the Lord.

My 20 Year High School Reunion is next month. I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the planning committee for this event, and in so doing have had the chance to connect with many old (and I use that word loosely) friends. Something funny happens when you grow up and remove the masks of high school. You find realness. When it came time for me to complete my bio sheet for the memory book that will be given to all my classmates at the reunion, I found that I suddenly had a boldness that was never there before. I actually wrote about my relationship with the Lord in my bio.

I will admit I was a little proud of myself for writing this, but then it hit me. I really had no choice. I have done nothing in the last 20 years that even compares to what my Heavenly Father has taught me in the last 20 years. It’s not about me at all. It’s about recognizing this Savior of mine and joining Him where He is working.

That’s what Paul did. He joined God where God was working, and it just happened to be in prison.

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. Philippians 1:12 – 14”

Do you see what happened when Paul shared the gospel message in prison? Others were encouraged to speak the Word of God more courageously and fearlessly. I can picture the prison guards looking at one another and saying, “Well if Paul can do this while chained in prison, then surely I can do something.”

God is at work all around us. Perhaps we just need to ask Him to show us where. You may be surprised what He reveals to you and how easy it is to share your faith–even to the Gresham High Class of 1990.

The longer I’m a mother and the older my children become, the more I realize how little control I actually have.

When they were toddlers, I made nearly every decision for them, including the rooms they played in, the toys they played with, the food they ate for dinner, and what time they went to bed. When elementary school came around, I still decided which friends they could play with, the activities they could participate in after school and how much television they could watch after they completed their homework. They had more freedom, choosing baseball over soccer, or Scooby Doo over Sponge Bob. But I held veto power at all times.

I now have a child that’s nearly 19. Crazy to think about, but it’s true. And although I have some control over what happens inside the walls of my home, there is little I can do when he walks out the front door. He’s an adult. And more than any time before now, I’m a mother on her knees.

As Paul wrote to his spiritual children in the Philippian church, I wonder if he felt the same kind of urgency I feel as I watch my own children pave their way through life. Just like me, Paul had taught them, encouraged them, and corrected them. He’d done everything he could to point them to the Savior and teach them how to live as God’s children. But when the time came for them to life out their faith on their own, Paul knew the first and best thing he could do for them was to pray.

“And this is my prayer…” ~ Philippians 1:9

So what did this man of God and spiritual father pray for? That they would:

* Abound in love and knowledge
* Show discernment in their decisions
* Remain pure and holy before God
* Bear righteous fruit based on their relationship with Christ
* Give glory to God through their lives

I have a single handwritten note next to Philippians 1 in my Bible, dated November 22, 2004:

“Pray this for Tyler, Ryan, Jacob and Troy.”

My three boys and husband. I’d forgotten. Now is the perfect time to remember.

Whether you’re a parent, a spouse or not, God has brought people into your life who need someone committed enough to pray this kind of prayer. It’s one thing to have great intentions, but it’s another thing to actually do it. This week I’m writing Philippians 1:9-11 on an index card and slipping it into my back pocket every morning. I’m committing to praying this verse for those I love for the next seven days.

Will you join me?

Jail time.  That was Lindsay Lohan’s sentence for a probation violation.  Some deemed the punishment too harsh, while others felt she got off easy.  Speaking of getting off easy, what about O.J.?  Public sentiment definitely sided against the verdict.  And then there are those who pay the time for something they didn’t do while others are guilty of a crime that really isn’t a crime.  Paul, the author of Philippians, falls into this category.  He lived in a time and place when professing belief in the resurrected Christ was illegal.  He was fully aware of the consequences of his faith.  In fact, he originally sought out Christians in order to persecute them.  He zealously climbed the corporate ladder of chastising, torturing and even approving of the death of those who bore the name of Christ.  And then, a radical conversion.

It would have been easier to remain silent about his newfound belief.  Safer, too.  But he couldn’t.  The love of God changed him so powerfully that he couldn’t help but tell others.  Fervently, earnestly and passionately.  Shunning the cost of probable imprisonment or death, his faith oozed out of him as he went from place to place in order to tell others about the depths and the riches of God’s love.  He would have been in more bondage by squelching that which naturally poured out of him than he was in the chains that came as a result of his faith. 

We are lucky to be able to study part of what he shared.  Yet we also run the risk of forgetting his chains and gloss over the sincerity and depth of his words.  As we study the book of Philippians, I challenge you to not just read the text, but to stop and ask yourself what it means in light of Paul’s chains.  It is a powerful charge to “do everything without complaining and arguing” (Philippians 2:14), but how does it affect you knowing it comes from someone shackled to another?  How does “always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4) resonate when we remember the status of the one who didn’t just say it, but lived it under harsh conditions?

I hope Paul’s chains change the way we interpret Philippians.  But I also pray they change the way we live.

Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.”  Paul, Philippians 1:14

Do you ever struggle with feeling inadequate? I will admit that I do from time to time, and it seems the inadequate feelings always attack my parenting. I watch other moms drive their kids here and there and wonder if I have my kids involved in enough extra curricular activities. I see patient moms gently explain things to their children after I’ve just lost it with my own. I hear of moms giving up everything to homeschool their children and wonder why the mere though of homeschooling my own children sends chills down my spine. And the list goes on.

Recently, God taught me a very important lesson in quite a humorous way. Among the many toys in our backyard is a tetherball pole, however, through much weathering over the winter, the ball deflated and eventually fell off, so all that’s left is a pole. A few weeks ago I was doing dishes and glanced out the window to find my youngest daughter dressed in her fancy dress up clothes, an old pair of my sling back, high-healed shoes, and, well, she was dancing around the pole.

My mind raced forward 10 years as visions of nightclubs came to mind. I vaguely remember yelling, “How does my seven-year-old know how to pole dance?” I threw down my dishtowel and ran to the backyard as fast as I could. I could feel the horrified look on my face start to melt away as shock turned to laughter. What I failed to see from the kitchen window was that my daughter was listening to an iPod and belting out the song “Come to Jesus,” as she twirled around the pole.

A HUGE sigh of relief came over me. What looked like a very inappropriate situation was really very innocent. She was having her own quiet time with God that happened to involve dress-up clothes and a pole. No worries, right? “I’m still a good mom, I’m still a good mom…..”

I think the church in Philippi experienced similar situations as they grew in their faith. I’m sure on many occasions they looked around at other saints and felt feelings of inadequacy. Though they knew in their heads that they were a new creation in Christ, and that their former lives had passed away, they still wondered if they were good people.

In steps Paul with his words of affirmation. “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.

It is often difficult, if not impossible, to see a good work when all we notice is our inadequacies, but today I want you to personally grasp the encouraging truth Paul states. Whether you are seven or seventy-seven; whether you are a mom trying to teach your children righteousness, or you are a child learning to find truth in a world that often tells lies; you who are Christ-followers are a work in progress—a good work in progress.

The word “elder” doesn’t always stir up a case of “warm fuzzies.” In fact, it often causes something more along the lines of “nausea.”

To begin, I grew up an elder’s daughter, meaning my dad sat on the board of elders–and often chaired it–for the majority of my childhood. This made ours a well-known family, and one very much under the microscope. I spent Sundays listening to sermons on grace, followed by Mondays through Saturdays experiencing a significant lack of it. Expectations abound toward those in church leadership, and in some cases rightly so. While I believe those who lead the church should be held to a high standard, I don’t think that standard includes prohibiting them from any semblance of humanity, and certainly not their in-progress children who didn’t choose their position but were born right into that church nursery under a blanket of expectations.

On the other side of my childhood years and as a member in multiple churches over the years, I’ve seen the best and worst of elder and deacon boards. There’s no need to get into the bloody details, but my experience with church leadership has often left me perplexed and aching for what God intended in the beginning. Because what I’ve seen certainly can not be the leadership God designed for his bride.

All this leads me to wonder if our leadership lacking and the secret for its remedy sits in that first verse Paul penned in his letter to the Philippine Church:

“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons…”

Paul writes to the church and her leaders, but as the leader over both groups he sets the standard with four simple but strong words: servants of Christ Jesus.

Servants. Not masters, or dictators, or indifferent followers, or naysayers, or heavy-handed rebukers. SERVANTS. Servants of Christ, with him as the authority, the source of love, grace, mercy, wisdom and correction.

Regardless of whether you’re an elder, deacon, women’s ministry leader, Bible study facilitator, or mentor, your first step in leading is by serving, and by remembering Who you serve. Tension will still raise his ugly head from time to time, as long as humans lead humans. But serving is the knife that cuts through the tension and allows grace–the grace of Jesus–to abound.