This morning Aspen informed me she wanted to live in a castle. I half-smiled, thinking, “Isn’t that cute?” Then she proceeded to tell me her daddy and I would be her servants! My smile disappeared as I told her that certainly was not going to happen.
I do wonder though if that is a little how we treat God. We ask to live in a castle and then we want Him to be our servant. We want Him to help us pick the right lottery numbers, expand our business for us, or give us a bigger car and nicer house. When we pray like this we are not exalting God, we are asking for things to exalt ourselves.
This afternoon during Brett’s drama class I watched the kids work on performing a skit. At the beginning of the skit a young man walks in and portrays Jesus telling the people how to pray. He tells the people to not use big words to impress other people in public, but to go to a closet alone and pray like this; “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13) What a great example of praying for God’s glory rather than our own.
When Jesus spent time on earth He physically healed a lot of people. But, more than anything else, Jesus wants to heal our hearts. When we allow God’s love to change our hearts, selfishness leaves and servanthood moves in. Jesus told His disciples, ” “He who wants to be first shall be last, and the servant of every person.” (Mark 9:35)
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
amorningmuse 