Reveration Blog
3/23/2018 Customer ServiceChristian Auto Brothers worked on our car recently giving it an overdue oil change and inspecting it to make sure it was okay before we went on a long road trip. While I waited they asked if wanted anything to drink or snacks to eat. The manager came out and talked to me while I stood at the counter—showing true interest in me as a person. The waiting room was clean and, besides having an assortment of great reading material, the atmosphere was friendly and relaxing. When the service was complete the mechanic gave me a free roadside service agreement in case we should suffer any kind of breakdown and need assistance. As I always do when I left their building, I shook my head in amazement. Meditation
1 Peter 4:10,11—Based on the gift each one has received, use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, it should be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, it should be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. In 2007 David Kinnaman published a book, entitled UnChristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity. His writing was the result of three years of wide-ranging interviews with young adults. Six perceptions altered their willingness to “commit their lives to Jesus.” Christians were considered: hypocritical, too focused on getting converts (rather than genuinely caring), anti-homosexual, sheltered (boring, out of touch with reality), too political and judgmental.[1] Can you imagine how different the world would view us if we all treated people the way Christian Auto Brothers treats its customers? But wait, that’s exactly what we shouldbe doing! We are supposedto be about Kingdom business. We serve the King who commands us to love Him first and foremost and then to love even our enemies. To accomplish this, we need a radical makeover. Clearly our service must come from the strength God provides. Why do we need His strength? Because our strength for serving is susceptible to weakness because of poor attitudes (crankiness, bitterness, anger, impatience, prejudice and that dreaded word apathy) and poor behavior (prideful, judgmental, selfish, inattentive etc.). Serving in God’s strength causes Him to be glorified. Nonbelievers are first transfixed by the light they see in us and then transformed when they (in wanting to be like us), give their hearts to the Lord. This is not easy but God did not call us to easiness. He called us to lay down our right to please ourselves and live so as to please Him! Something to think about . . . in reveration! Inspiration Service isn’t just a kind act. Service is an indescribably beautiful picture of Jesus.—Bill Perkins inthe Jesus experiment ©2018 Daniel York ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause. If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box. Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice. Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth. (Holman CSB) [1]https://andrew-ong.com/2009/05/05/the-worlds-perception-of-christians/ Comments are closed.
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Photo from Rachel Maxey Miles