the 8 day challenge

I have been reading The 4:8 Principle by Tommy Newberry and so far, it has been life changing! My friend, Holly, said she was doing the 8 day challenge and so I am joining her in it, starting tomorrow. In the grand scheme of life, 8 days isn't long AT ALL, but I'll bet this challenge turns out to be harder than I anticipate...

Here's what it is......

You will receive a short email prompt from me each morning, containing inspiration, encouragement and the 4:8 Challenge of the Day. Your objective will be to THINK, SPEAK, AND ACT all day long in a manner consistent with Philippians 4:8. The challenge will be to keep your mind as well as your mouth preoccupied with what is beautiful, excellent, true, just, and worthy of praise.

Throughout the 8-Day Challenge, you can expect to see the people and situations in your life differently because, as Thoreau wrote, "we find only the world we look for." During this brief eight day period, you will be looking for, and consequently finding, fresh value in your relationships and circumstances and especially, new virtue within yourself. After all, it's so easy to get consumed with your obstacles that you forget about your goals. It is so easy to entertain hostile thoughts about the future and end up missing the gift of the present.

Here Are The 4 Ground Rules

Avoid any and all negative energy for eight days. During this 8-day challenge you'll be asked to steer clear of specific thoughts, words and deeds that violate the 4:8 principle. You'll also be encouraged to increase other thoughts, words, and behaviors that are in harmony with Philippians 4:8.

First, let's identify some of what you should INCREASE during the challenge:

Prayer and forgiveness beyond the norm for you
Verbally encouraging your spouse, friends and family
Thinking and reviewing your goals
Smiling and laughing
Dwelling on the character of God
Reviewing your blessings, especially the little ones
Defending a victim of gossip
Predicting a positive outcome aloud

Now, let's pinpoint the most negative behaviors that you MUST temporarily SUSPEND during the challenge:

All forms of whining and complaining
Talking about fatigue, boredom or aches and pains
Gossip-based conversations
Condemning language of any kind
Exasperating body language
Criticism of spouse, kids, coworkers and even politicians
Worrisome thoughts or words
Nursing old wounds
Can you think of anything else that should be avoided?

I am ready for the challenge!!!!!

Are YOU in?!?!

Maybe This Year...?

by Elisabeth Elliot

"I hardly know where to start," a letter begins. "My story is not one involving men. That's the problem. Male companionship seems not to be found, and, I fear, may never be found. They never ask me out twice. I'm always 'dumped.' The problem is I want a relationship. I have this overwhelming desire...."

Someone else said to me, "I fell deeply in love. He fell deeply in love, too--with someone else."

Another letter tells of the agonized yearning of one couple for a child. Since God has not removed the desire, they ask, may we not conclude that He wants us to employ whatever means we can (e.g., in vitro fertilization) in order to have a child?

God's not having taken away a perfectly normal human desire does not by any means indicate that we are free to pursue its fulfillment in any way we choose. A woman who had, after years of struggles, quickly lost sixty pounds told me that she had been expecting God to take away her appetite. When she realized He did not intend to do so (she had been asking for the removal of our God-given protection from starvation!), she stopped gratifying that appetite in the wrong ways.

Will the young woman find a mate? Will the couple have a child? Maybe this year will be the year of desire fulfilled. Perhaps, on the other hand, it will be the year of desire radically transformed, the year of finding, as we have perhaps not yet truly found, Christ to be the All-Sufficient One, Christ the "deep, sweet well of Love."

"Why won't God let someone into my life? I feel left out, abandoned. When will it be my turn?" The petulant letter goes on. "I feel deprived! Will He deny me the one small desire of my heart? Is it too big a treasure to ask? I sit in torture and dismay."

Life is likely to continue to hold many forms of torture and dismay for that unhappy person and for all who refuse to receive with thanksgiving instead of complaint the place in life God has chosen for them. The torture is self-inflicted, for God has not rejected their prayers. He knows better than any of us do what furthers our salvation. Our true happiness is to be realized precisely through his refusals, which are always mercies. His choice is flawlessly contrived to give the deepest kind of joy as soon as it is embraced.

Joseph Eliot, in the seventeenth century, said, "I need everything God gives me, and want [or feel the lack of] nothing He denies me."

In Moses' review of God's leading of the children of Israel he said,

"Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart.... He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.... Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.... For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing."

Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 5, 7-9, NIV

The cause of our discontent: We simply do not believe God. The wilderness experience leads to the Promised Land. It is the path God chose for us. His Word is established forever, and He tells us in a thousand ways that His will is our peace, His choices for us will lead to fulfillment and joy, the way of transgressors is hard. Do we suppose that we could find a better way than His?

One of George Eliot's characters says:

"You are seeking your own will, my daughter. You are seeking some good other than the law you are bound to obey. But how will you find good? It is not a thing of choice; it is a river that flows from the foot of the Invisible Throne, and flows by the path of obedience. I say again, man cannot choose his duties. You may choose to forsake your duties, and choose not to have the sorrow they bring. But you will go forth, and what will you find, my daughter? Sorrow without duty--bitter herbs, and no bread with them."

Instead of seeing His everlasting love, tenderly bending down to our humanness, longing over each one of us with a father's speechless longing; we sometimes think of Him as indifferent, inaccessible, or just plain unfair.

The worst pains we experience are not those of the suffering itself but of our stubborn resistance to it, our resolute insistence on our independence. To be "crucified with Christ" means what Oswald Chambers calls "breaking the husk" of that independence. "Has that break come?" he asks. "All the rest is pious fraud." And you and I know, in our heart of hearts, that that sword-thrust (so typical of Chambers!) is the straight truth.

If we reject this cross, we will not find it in this world again. Here is the opportunity offered. Be patient. Wait on the Lord for whatever He appoints, wait quietly, wait trustingly. He holds every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year in His hands. Thank Him in advance for what the future holds, for He is already there. "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup" (Psalm 16:5, NIV). Shall we not gladly say, "I'll take it, Lord! YES! I'll trust you for everything. Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

Ever Been Bitter?

by Elisabeth Elliot

Sometimes I've said, "O Lord, you wouldn't do this to me, would you? How could you, Lord?" I can recall such times later on and realize that my perspective was skewed. One Scripture passage which helps me rectify it is Isaiah 45:9-11 (NEB): "Will the pot contend with the potter, or the earthenware with the hand that shapes it? Will the clay ask the potter what he is making?... Thus says the Lord, would you dare question me concerning my children, or instruct me in my handiwork? I alone, I made the earth and created man upon it." He knows exactly what He is doing. I am clay.

The word humble comes from the root word humus, earth, clay. Let me remember that when I question God's dealings. I don't understand Him, but then I'm not asked to understand, only to trust. Bitterness dissolves when I remember the kind of love with which He has loved me--He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. He gave Himself for me. Whatever He is doing now, therefore, is not cause for bitterness. It has to be designed for good, because He loved me and gave Himself for me.

Is it a sin to ask God why?

It is always best to go first for our answers to Jesus Himself. He cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" It was a human cry, a cry of desperation, springing from His heart's agony at the prospect of being put into the hands of wicked men and actually becoming sin for you and me. We can never suffer anything like that, yet we do at times feel forsaken and cry, Why, Lord?

The psalmist asked why. Job, a blameless man, suffering horrible torments on an ash heap, asked why. It does not seem to me to be sinful to ask the question. What is sinful is resentment against God and His dealings with us. When we begin to doubt His love and imagine that He is cheating us of something we have a right to, we are guilty as Adam and Eve were guilty. They took the snake at his word rather than God. The same snake comes to us repeatedly with the same suggestions: Does God love you? Does He really want the best for you? Is His word trustworthy? Isn't He cheating you? Forget His promises. You'd be better off if you do it your way.

I have often asked why. Many things have happened which I didn't plan on and which human rationality could not explain. In the darkness of my perplexity and sorrow I have heard Him say quietly, Trust Me. He knew that my question was not the challenge of unbelief or resentment. I have never doubted that He loves me, but I have sometimes felt like St. Teresa of Avila who, when she was dumped out of a carriage into a ditch, said, "If this is the way You treat your friends, no wonder You have so few!" Job was not, it seems to me, a very patient man. But he never gave up his conviction that he was in God's hands. God was big enough to take whatever Job dished out (see Job 16 for a sample). Do not be afraid to tell Him exactly how you feel (He's already read your thoughts anyway). Don't tell the whole world. God can take it--others can't. Then listen for His answer. Six scriptural answers to the question WHY come from: 1 Peter 4:12-13; Romans 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 12:9; John 14:31; Romans 8:17; Colossians 1:24. There is mystery, but it is not all mystery. Here are clear reasons.

a note from North Point Resources:Letters to the Next President

On September 1, North Point Resources launched a national campaign featuring Andy's recent sermon series, Letters to the Next President. We wanted to let you know about the campaign and how you can help.

The campaign consists of several web banners that ask the question "What would you say to the next president?" These banners are strategically placed on dozens of Google web properties such as Huffington Post, MySpace, Facebook, and Drudge Report. The banners lead to North Point Ministries' YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/northpointministries). The channel has been re-skinned to reflect the LTTNP series and includes a special introductory video by Andy that addresses the campaign. In addition to the banners and our YouTube site, we've also made some changes to the Letters to the Next President website (www.letterstothenextpresident.com.)

The campaign has already generated millions of web impressions and thousands of clicks, and we've had many new letters posted since the launch. But, we still need your help.

Two Ways to Participate

1. Facebook: If you visit www.letterstothenextpresident.com, you'll see we've included a Facebook "badge" enabling site visitors to add the LTTNP logo to their Facebook profile. If you have a Facebook page, we would love for you to add this to your profile and help spread the word. Additionally, for those of you who are willing to post a letter, you'll get a different badge - one that says "I wrote a letter to the next president." This badge will link directly to your letter, allowing your friends on Facebook to read your submission.

2. Invite friends and family to participate: Our goal is to generate thousands of new letters through this campaign. Ultimately we hope these visitors will bookmark NPM's YouTube channel and come back later to hear more of Andy's messages.

This campaign is running through October 31 and any help you can give us during that time is appreciated.

If you have questions, you can contact Jessica Duquette at jessica.duquette@northpoint.org.

Thanks!

Don't Follow Your Heart...Lead It

my mentor sent me this quote the other day and it came in perfect timing. i have a tendency of following my feelings more than i do logic. i even spent time in counseling learning that my feelings CAN and WILL lie to me. i know i am to focus on the truth... that i am a beautiful, precious, cherished daughter of my Heavenly Father. i know, i know, i know....but i don't FEEL that way. especially not this week.

i am a flaming 'F' on the Meyers-Briggs temperament profile. this means:

I believe I can make the best decisions by weighing what people care about and the points-of-view of persons involved in a situation. I am concerned with values and what is the best for the people involved. I like to do whatever will establish or maintain harmony. In my relationships, I appear caring, warm, and tactful (ok...maybe tact is one thing i lack...)

The following statements generally apply to me:

I have a people or communications orientation.
I am concerned with harmony and nervous when it is missing.
I look for what is important to others and express concern for others.
I make decisions with my heart and want to be compassionate.
I believe being tactful is more important than telling the “cold” truth. (not so much)
Sometimes I miss seeing or communicating the “hard truth” of situations. 
I am sometimes experienced by others as too idealistic, mushy, or indirect.

i am so tired of myself. does that even make sense? i am so sick of following my heart. i want to lead it. i want to lead it in truth. Phil. 4:8 says "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." why is renewing my mind with truth so hard sometimes? why does it come so natural for me to rely on my feelings to make decisions?

Heavenly Father, i am such a mess. i am having such an emotional week. help me to find a balance between my emotions and logic. i don't want to be completely lacking of any feelings but i don't want to rely so heavily on them throughout my days. please show me in a way that i can understand that You love me just as i am. remind me once again, that there's nothing i can do to make You love me more and there's nothing i can do to make You love me less. i need constant reassurance that You still love me, that You have a plan for me and that You haven't forgotten me. i'm sorry to be so needy; i'm just being real. help my unbelief. love, jnt.

Seed and Yeast

by Elisabeth Elliot

When we see things we believe need to be changed, most of us are impatient to see them done at once. The kingdom of God does not operate spectacularly, with a sudden rush of irresistible force, but rather like seed and yeast. These are small and wholly unimpressive and go to work only when buried. They need an appropriate medium in which to generate change, but the life-principle is there, latent but powerful, ready to begin the slow and marvelous process of transformation.

Our prayers for change--in people, in situations--are summed up in the old petition, "Thy kingdom come"--but when we ask for that we are asking for what may seem an excruciatingly drawn-out business. We will need the patience of the farmer and the baker who, having done the one thing needful, then quietly (and with calm faith) wait for the thing to happen.

Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman

this morning, i prayed that God would show me in a way i could understand his grace, mercy, and forgiveness. an hour later, reading through the chapters of the day for my 60-day challenge, i read this passage. i love when my faith and God's faithfulness intersects.

Luke 7:
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.

41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

48Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

49The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"

50Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Prayers That Move the Heart of God

How to cultivate a meaningful conversation with the Lord.
by Nancy Guthrie

My teenaged son, Matt, always has a great time when he visits my parents. And why shouldn't he? Matt gets out of bed whenever he wants, eats whatever he wants, and watches whatever he wants on TV. In fact, Matt made a grand discovery at Grandma's house during his last visit. My mother keeps a bucket of chocolate-chip cookie dough in her refrigerator that Matt enjoyed eating by the spoonful! When he returned from that visit, he began asking me to buy cookie dough from Sam's Club, just like my mom. I know having cookie dough easily available isn't good for either of us, so I said "no" over and over … until last week. Matt's repeated requests finally wore me down.

That's one of the big differences between God's parenting and mine. God doesn't give me everything I repeatedly ask for when he knows it's not best for me. But a shallow reading of Luke 11:9-10 could lead me to think otherwise. There Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."

Is the way to get what I want from God through wearing him down, or getting as many people as possible to ask God for it? What kinds of prayer really move the heart and hand of God?

Secret-Formula Prayer vs. Seeking Prayer

As his parent, I don't want Matt to try to get what he wants by constantly begging me for it or getting everyone he knows to gang up on me. I want to hear his heart on the matter, and I want him to hear mine. I want us to have a conversation. Isn't that how it is with our heavenly Father? Prayer is about a conversation with our loving God—not about wearing him down to get what we want.

There's so much to want—healed bodies, restored relationships, changed circumstances. But asking, seeking, and knocking aren't secret formulas for getting what we want from God; they're ways to get more of God. As I listen to God speak to me through his Word, he gives me more of himself in fuller, newer ways. Then, if healing doesn't come, if the relationship remains broken, or if the pressures increase, I have the opportunity to discover for myself he is enough. His presence is enough. His purpose is enough. If you truly want to move God's heart, put aside secret-formula prayer and instead begin to practice prayer that seeks the Giver more than the gifts. Prayer is changing me from someone who knew a lot about God into someone who's experiencing God in deep, though sometimes difficult, ways. 

Superficial Prayer vs. Significant Prayer

Sometimes I catch myself "chatting" with God, limiting my prayers to superficial things and surface issues, never getting to the heart of the matter. And I've noticed that when others offer prayer requests, they're rarely about spiritual needs. We ask God to heal physical ailments, provide safe travel, and to "be with us."

Of course God cares about these things. But prayer is spiritual work toward a spiritual end. God wants to rub off our rough edges and clean up our character. So why do we settle for talking to him only about the superficial stuff? When our prayers move from the superficial to the significant, we invite God to do no less than a deep, transforming, igniting work in our life and in the lives of those for whom we're praying.

I've often found myself slipping into superficial mode in my prayers for Matt—asking God to keep him safe or to bless his day at school. But I really don't want to settle for those things. So my prayers have moved from the superficial to the significant. I'm asking God to shape Matt's character—even if it requires some struggle. I'm begging the Holy Spirit to ignite in Matt a passion for holiness and a love for God's Word. These are things that really matter. This is what significant prayer is all about.

Showy Prayer vs. Secret Prayer

Several years ago, at a friend's wedding, a college friend described me to her other friends as "a prayer warrior." Her comment surprised me because I knew it wasn't true. I guess I'd made a great impression with my public prayers at our weekly Bible study group in college. But the truth was, there wasn't much private prayer going on in my life.

If I'm not careful, I still can make prayer all about impressing others with my pseudo-spirituality. That's "showy prayer"—prayer that's more for others' ears than for God's. Jesus warned against this: "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the doors and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:5-6).

Showy prayer uses put-on voices, lofty words, and spiritual-sounding phrases; simple prayer is authentic and humble. I can perform public prayers or make claims of private prayer, and settle for the applause of people; or I can go to a secret place, shut the door, and commune with God. It's in that secret place with him you and I find our most blessed reward—not impressing others, but cultivating true intimacy with him.

Insistent Prayer vs. Submissive Prayer

Nothing's taught me more about prayer than Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. According to Hebrews 5:7-8, "during the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered."

This moves me, because I know what it's like to offer prayers with loud cries and tears, to come before God with a broken heart and a desperate need. Several years ago, physicians told my husband and me that because of a rare metabolic disorder, our newborn daughter, Hope, would live for only two or three months.

Time seemed to be slipping away so quickly when one day, as I rocked Hope in the nursery we'd prepared for her—tears spilling down my face—I thought, I'll ask God to give Hope more time. It seemed such a modest prayer; I'd already surrendered any insistence God heal her completely. But even as that prayer formed in my mind, I sensed God calling me to submit to his perfect timing. So my prayer instead became, Give me strength to make the most of every day you give me with Hope. Show me how to rest in your plan for her life and mine.
In Hope's life and death, I learned what it is to pray to a God who has the power to make another way … but chooses not to. It helps to know Jesus understands what this feels like. Like Jesus, I've wrestled with God's plan for my life even as I've sought to submit to it. But Jesus shows me how to obey when God's answer to my sincere, reverent prayer is "no." I also see Jesus' example of obedience.

I've learned that submissive prayer is prayer that welcomes God to work in and through my suffering rather than begs him to take it away. It's thanking God for what he gives me rather than resenting him for what I lose. Submissive prayer is changing me from someone who knew a lot about God into someone who's experiencing God in deep, though sometimes difficult, ways.

Too often I still find myself merely going through the motions of prayer, but I want to pray in a way that's authentic, sincere, and effective. I'm learning to go to my heavenly Father in the way I want my son to come to me. I want to hear what Matt wants and needs. I want to respond. I want to be active in his life, doing what I know is best for him.

Our heavenly Father's no different. He has no need for a show or secret formulas, and he's not interested in keeping things superficial. He loves it when we come to him—and he simply wants to talk with us.

Nancy Guthrie is the author of Holding On to Hope: A Pathway Through Suffering to the Heart of God and The One Year Book of Hope

What's Left?

by Micca Monda Campbell

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Nahum 1:7 (NIV)

Times are tough. People everywhere are losing their jobs, their homes, and their hope. If it has happened to you, then you know how devastating loss can be. You know what it feels like to be at the mercy of a job interviewer, or enslaved to a credit lender. It can leave us feeling less than.

Most of us seek identity in our jobs, dreams, talents, or peers. The people we love, the things we own, and the job we do often defines who we are. When we lose those things, we feel as though we have lost our identity. After that, what else is left?

The good news is—there is more left than we realize. This was true for Daniel after King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The king ordered for some royal family Israelites to be taken into captivity. The order specified those who were attractive, smart, healthy, and who would make good servants to the king. Daniel was among them. They were also told what to eat and what to drink.

I imagine most the captives were distraught by all they had lost. They had been taken from their home, their land, and their people. But Daniel and his friends responded differently than most. They chose not to look at what they had lost but rather what they still had left.

Daniel had faith. He knew that the true King was large and in charge. Nebuchadnezzar may have been king of Babylon, but God was the King of Daniel.

Trusting God to work on his behalf, Daniel asked that he not have to defile himself by eating the king's food. Despite the official's hesitation, he granted Daniel's request due to God's favor.

As children of God, we do not have to lose heart or succumb to the world's ways either. No matter what kind of situation we are placed in, God can make the impossible possible. The Lord also gave knowledge and understanding to Daniel along with his three friends. This caught the king's attention. No one else in the kingdom could compare to these four. So, they entered the king's service without violating their faith and remained there until a new king took the throne.

Unfortunately, everyone experiences times of loss—a job, a friendship, a dream. Even so, our worth and identity are not found in these things. Nor is it found in our failures or losses. Your value and mine is in God and the amount of faith we have in Him.

When we find ourselves in our own Babylons, let's not look at what we've lost but at what we have left—our faith! It may be shaken but it can't be taken. Faith, like Daniel's, provides hope in a God who is large and in charge over every authority. That, my friend, is no loss. That is great gain.

Dear Lord, My focus has been on my circumstances instead of on You. Today, I chose to put my trust in You. I believe that You are aware of my situation and are working on my behalf. Fill my soul with peace and help me to rest in Your care. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

baby bump contest

my sister, Esther, entered a baby bump contest on parents.com, so i'm asking if you'll visit her link and vote for her!! her husband took these pictures and they are so beautiful, especially the one with her hands lifted in thanks to the Lord. baby Isaac is 4 months old now. he loves his mama's milk, his daddy's silly voices, and his aunt's sweet lovin' on. he likes to take long walks in the mornings and hates alone time. he cannot get enough face time. i get to take care of him for twelve days next month while his mom and dad go to ireland and i am counting down the days!!! everyone loves you, bonkdy wonks!!
  

Volunteer Slaves

by Elisabeth Elliot

"Slave" is not a word most of us nowadays feel comfortable with. It is significant that most modern Bible translations use "servant" instead. For a slave is not his own, has no rights whatsoever, is not in charge of what happens to him, makes no choices about what he will do or how he is to serve, is not recognized, appreciated, thanked or even (except by his absence) noticed at all.

Once we give up our slavery to the world, which is a cruel master indeed, to become Christ's bondslave, we live out our servitude to Him by glad service to others. This volunteer slavery cannot be taken advantage of--we have chosen to surrender everything for love. It is a wholly different thing from forced labor. It is in fact the purest joy when it is most unobserved, most unself-conscious, most simple, most freely offered.

Lord, break the chains that hold me to myself; free me to be your happy slave--that is, to be the happy foot-washer of anyone today who needs his feet washed, his supper cooked, his faults overlooked, his work commended, his failure forgiven, his griefs consoled, or his button sewed on. Let me not imagine that my love for You is very great if I am unwilling to do for a human being something very small.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

man, have i been in a funk lately. i can't (or maybe just don't want to) put into words the thoughts and feelings that i have had over the last month. elisabeth elliot seems to put into words exactly what i need to hear most days, so i post her devotionals so i can go back and read them when i need a life lesson refresher. i have been asking, seeking, and knocking of the Lord, "what in the world do you want me to do with my life?!" i am so frustrated! and then i find this devotional about being a bondservant, and it all becomes clear to me: this is exactly what i want to do with my life. i'm tired of living for my own happiness, constantly telling God who i want, what i want, when i want it, where i want it, and how i want it. in the words of Dr. Phil "how's that workin' for ya?" IT'S NOT!!! so from here on out, i am a volunteer slave. it doesn't matter what i want. i am not here for my happiness, for my glory, or to collect as many words of affirmation as i can. i have no rights whatsoever. i am not in charge of what happens to me. i am making no choices about what i will do or how i am to serve. i will serve whether i am recognized, appreciated, thanked, noticed... or not.

"...whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43-45