Tag Archives: sacrifice

Being Poured Out, Loving like Jesus, The Joy of Serving

Rhythms: IN (The Joy of Putting Others First)

6 Comments

Story

A while back, a grey cloud settled over my heart. It blew in suddenly and lingered for a while. My wife confirmed my outward mood matched my inward discouragement. She said it seemed as if someone had thrown a wet blanket on my heart to try and steal my joy.  As I shuffled around, what she said resonated, but I had nothing inside to fight it.

Frankly, the last thing I wanted to do was read scripture, but I knew I needed truth. I asked God to guide me and looked at some verses on joy.

As I read, I was struck by how much Paul cared about the joy of others.

He wrote to the Corinthians that he was working for their joy.

But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth.  Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm (II Corinthians 1:23-24 NASB).

And to the Philippians, Paul wrote that he’d continue in the fight for their progress and joy in the faith.

 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again (Philippians 1:25-26 NASB).

What struck me was how committed Paul was to being sure the believers at Corinth and Philippi had a growing joy. He seemed to be equating joy with their progress in the faith. And he was willing to fight for them to have it. 

Continuing, I read what Paul wrote in Philippians 2 about considering other’s interest above our own. As these words settled in, a spark of joy flickered in my heart. Clarity grew and I began to understand some of what had killed my joy.

Looking back, I can’t even remember exactly what I was going through, but I had fixated on me and how I was doing. Unaware of the shift in my heart, I had taken up the familiar position of focusing on my own desires for ease of circumstances and comfort. My intense concern for me had zapped my joy.

Being Poured Out

But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.  You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me (Philippians 2:17-18 NASB).

In light of what I learned in my “me focused” funk, what Paul wrote in the above verse is the exact opposite of where my heart was. Paul was selflessly willing to have his life blood poured out for the sake of others. 

To get a better understanding of what Paul meant by a drink offering, Old Testament passages mention them, along with other offerings, as sacrifices to the Lord.[2]

Paul was consumed with his relationship with Christ and sharing it with others. He had no fear of death because dying meant more of Jesus.

In the meantime, while God delayed calling him home, his life was characterized by a joy which flowed from his faith.

And here’s the interesting fact, which is undeniable when we study Paul’s life. His joy grew, and seemed to overflow, when he served others.

 Paul held loosely to his life for the sake of building others up. This kind of sacrificial love was not burdensome to him. It filled his heart with a contagious joy.

I ask myself if I’m willing to sacrifice what I want, and even my own life for the sake of God’s kingdom and the spreading of His love?

This seems to be the call for us all. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Romans 12:1 NASB).

But this sacrificial attitude of putting others didn’t originate with Paul. Following are the verses which sparked joy in my heart from the story above.  Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB).

Jesus’ example

On the night before He was crucified, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet (including Judas’ and Peter’s, whom He knew would betray and deny Him).

Afterwards, He told them, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 NASB)

He later promised that if we follow His example, of pouring ourselves out for others, His love and His joy would be ours in abundance.

“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (John 15:9-12 NASB)

As we abide in the love of Jesus, His love overflows from our lives to those around us. This yielding and depending on the Holy Spirit keeps us in the experience of His love and gives us His complete joy.

But following Jesus’ example of being poured out for the sake of others can never happen in our own strength. Loving like Jesus is totally dependent upon His Spirit at work in us to produce fruit designed for loving others.

Conclusion

Kill Joy – The fastest way to kill your own joy is to focus on you. True joy flows as we delight in the Lord’s nearness and work on behalf of others.

As we lay aside our own interests, we’re invited to join the Holy Spirit in a dance of love and joy. Rejoicing in our relationship with Jesus, and the overflowing of His love for others, frees us from the need to produce our own happiness. In His strength and guidance, we ask, “Lord, who do You want to love through me today?”

Prayer

Lord, receiving Your love and giving it away can never happen without the work of Your Spirit within me. Apart from You, I can do nothing. I don’t want to get in the way anymore. I desire to pour myself out for the spreading of Your love and joy. Please keep me from focusing on me, my duties, my circumstances, my happiness. May the people You bring my way be my highest priority. May I love them with Your love and share the joy of faith in You. Amen.

Personal Study

Highlight John 12:1-8

Explain it in your own words

Apply it to your life

Respond to God in prayer 

[1] Philippians 1:25

[2] Exodus 29:41, Numbers 6:17

Previous posts in our Discipleship Rhythms Series:

UP:  God’s Amazing Love

UP: God’s Essential Love

UP: What Hides God’s Love

UP: Christ Lives in Me

UP: Raised up with Christ

UP: Who’s your Treasure?

UP: Obtaining the Joy of Jesus 

UP: Orienting Life from Above

UP: When Things Get Hard

UP: Communing with God

IN: Receiving God’s Love to Give it Away

IN: Having a Love First Mentality 

Please Check out the new Cola City Podcast . Discussions that impact the vision of reaching every man, woman, and child with the gospel.

Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

 Novels by the Author:

Rob Buck

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family Hope Remains

 

Daily Surrender, Withholding Nothing

Our Highest Joy (Returning to Mount Moriah)

2 Comments

Now it came about after these things, that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.” (Genesis 22:1-2 NASB).

As Abraham obeyed God and made his way to Mount Moriah to sacrifice Isaac, he’d already been on quite the adventure.

The Back Story

He used to be Abram (father of many). At 75 years of age, God called him to leave his native land and travel to a unknown place. He was called to “be a blessing” and to be the father of a great nation. [1]  But his wife, Sarai, was barren. 

He pitched a tent between Bethel (house of bread) and Ai (house of ruin). There he built an alter to the Lord (Jehovah – the Existing One) and called upon His name. [2]

God brought a famine,  leading Abram to Egypt. Out of fear, he offered up Sarai to Pharaoh, calling her his sister. [3] 

From Egypt, Abram returned and pitched his tents again between Bethel and Ai. But there was strife between his herdsmen and those of his nephew Lot.  He and Lot separated. Abram took a humble posture and allowed his nephew to choose his spot. So, Abram moved his tents and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre in Hebron. There he built an altar to the Lord. [4]

 Next there was  war. Lot was taken away. Abram fought back. He battled and defeated the kings. He rescued Lot and all his possessions. Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, brought out bread and wine and blessed Abram. [5]

The then Lord said to him, “Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your very great reward” (Genesis 15:1b NIV).  God reassured Abram that, in spite of the circumstances,  a nation as numerous as the stars would be born from him. Abram believed God and his faith was credited to him as righteousness. [6]

As time went on, Abram’s trust in God’s promise waned.  Sarai was still barren. Listening to his wife, Abram took matters into his own hands and fathered Ishmael.  This wasn’t God’s design and there were consequences. [7]

But God remained faithful, even when Abram was not. He expanded the vision, changing Abram’s name to Abraham (father of many nations). He commanded circumcision as a sign of the covenant between them and as an assurance of God’s faithfulness. God changed Sarai’s name to Sarah and promised she would soon have a child named Isaac. Since Sarah was 99 years old, Abraham’s trust in God’s promise waivered again. He asked if Ishmael could be the child of the promise. [8]

Abraham journeyed toward the land of the Negev and settled in Gerar. Still fearful and concerned about his safety, he lied again about Sarah being his sister to King Abimelech. [9]

When Abraham was 100 years old, Isaac, son of the promise was born. As God had commanded, Abraham circumcised Isaac when he was eight days old. 

Intense family strife developed because of Ishmael and his mother, Hagar. Abraham was greatly distresses, but God spoke peace to him.  Abraham planted a tamarisk tree at Beersheba and called upon the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God. [10]  

Relating to Abraham’s Story

Before we pick back up on Abraham’s journey into deeper surrender toward the heights of Mount Moriah, let’s look at how we might relate to his story so far.

Like Abraham, as believers, we’ve been called to leave our familiar ways to travel with God to unknown places.

Like Abraham, we’ve been blessed to be a blessing.

Like with Abraham, God is at work in our lives to build unwavering trust and deeper intimacy.

Abraham faced barrenness, famine, strife, separation, war, distress and family tension, some of his own doing. Like Abraham, we face loss and lack, which God uses in powerful ways to fashion and  stretch our souls. The Master has unique trials for each of us in order to free us from ourselves and our own devices and give us true joy.

Like Abraham, we become afraid. Sometimes our faith is weak. We choose poorly, often even repeating our foolishness. We throw our loved ones “under the bus.” We care too much about us. We take matters into our own hands. We cling to our ways, even when God shows us a better plan.

The same God who walked with Abraham, walks with us. Nothing we go through is a surprise to Him. Like Abraham, our journeys are filled with missteps, but, through it all, God is faithful. He upholds His end of the covenant, even when we don’t.

 Abraham’s Test

In Genesis 22, when God called, Abraham said, “Here I am.”

When God gave His surprising command to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham obeyed quickly. No arguments.  By then, he was probably 120 years old. His faith had grown strong, forged by famine, war and strife, undergirded by God’s grace, even in the midst of Abraham’s sin.

 In full faith, Abraham walked on because he considered God to be able to raise Isaac from the dead. [11] After the third day, he could see Moriah rising up in the distance. On that same mountain, Jerusalem would be built and, years later, Jesus, God’s only Son, would be sacrificed as the Perfect Lamb.

Climbing up the mountain, Isaac asked where the lamb was for the sacrifice. Abraham replied, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering my son” (Genesis 22:8b NASB).

When they came to the place for the sacrifice, Abraham built the altar, bound his son and placed him there. But in the process of slaying Isaac, an angel said, “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me” (Genesis 22:`12b NASB).

Our Response

Do we fear God in the ways Abraham displayed?

Are there things we withhold from God?

Do we trust God’s love for us and His plan for our lives? 

Is our emotional wellbeing anchored around people or things?

Is our faith deep enough to withstand unimaginable circumstances because we know God is at work, especially in our trials?

Are we willing to surrender even the most precious parts of our hearts to God because we trust Him?

Like me, you probably find yourself somewhere along Abraham’s journey leading up to his test. We worship, we love, we seek to obey. But sometimes we stumble. Too often, we choose what we want ahead of the interests of others. We try and solve problems on our own, using our limited strengths and abilities. We fear. We fall back to familiar lies and worn out patterns of trying to make life better.

Is a better life the point?

But know this. The same loving, merciful God who kept His promises to Abraham, in spite of his weak faith and sin, keeps His promises to us.

Challenge

Thinking about your journey, have there been similar sacrifices required of you, like Abraham with Isaac?

Are there things you are withholding from God, though He’s asked you?

What is God asking of you right now?

Where do you need to trust God more in a particular area?

Are there lies you believe and even defend, creating strongholds in your life?

Talk to Him about these things.

Prayer

O Lord, I’m so amazed at Abraham’s journey. Like him, You’ve chosen to love me. You’ve blessed me with every spiritual blessing. You are Jehovah-Jireh. You see what I really need and You provide. 

Thank you for the freedom and joy which awaits me, as I surrender more and more of my life to You. Only You can enable and direct my surrender. Please carry me along Your road of freedom.

May I give every one and every thing to You along the way,  returning to Mount Moriah every day.

 Amen.

[1] Genesis 12:2

[2] Genesis 12:4-9

[3] Genesis 12:10-20

[4] Genesis 13

[5] Genesis 14

[6] Genesis 15

[7] Genesis 16

[8] Genesis 17

[9] Genesis 20

[10] Philippians 2:7b

[11] Hebrews 11:17-19

Previous posts in the series – Our Highest Joy:

Unmasking the Lie

Dealing with sadness and disappointment

Eternal Thanksgiving

Fueled by the Joy of Jesus

God with Us

Fixing Our Hope

Remaining Cheerful

Not My Will

Mustering our Faith

Being Poured Out

Loving Like Joe

.Joy in the Journey is about the gladness of God’s nearness in the midst of life’s adventures.

Subscribe below to get email notifications of new posts. We post a few times a month. Thank you for reading. 

Novels by the Author:

What happens when a professor figures out how to send messages to his younger self to try and avoid the suicide of his best friend? Did he change more than he bargained for?  Beyond Time

By finding two undelivered letters in a old shack deep in the woods, Cassie and Daniel unknowing set off a series of events which uncover a plot to wipe out a whole family. Hope Remains