Collinsville-Troy CHURCH OF CHRIST

The Heart of a Servant

Jason Wright

If you fill a bucket full of water and then walk along carrying that bucket, what is the only thing that will spill out? Milk? Root beer? How about some tea? The only possible thing to spill out is water. With this in mind, if we apply this spiritually, what is the only thing(s) that can come out of our hearts? Whatever we put in. The Bible clearly warns us to guard our heart (Prov. 4:23) which means we have to be intentional about what goes in. Since God looks at the heart of man (I Sam. 16:7), and we know that what is in our hearts will come out our mouths (Mt. 12:34), we should be wise and not allow deceit (Jer. 17:9), desire (Ps. 20:4), evil (Luke 6:45) and treasure (Mt. 6:21) anywhere near our hearts. Instead, what if we are diligent in making sure that we long for a heart like David. In Psalms 51:10, he said, reate in me a clean (pure) heart, O God and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

How can we achieve this? The best place to begin answering this question is to look at the one who had a servant's heart. In Mark 10:35-45, Jesus is teaching where true greatness can be found. Notice verses 43-35, Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life a ransom for many. Considering Jesus's audience, His disciples would one day lead the church. Christ wanted His servants to model His character.

Jesus gives His disciples a look into His servant heart. In John 13, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. He certainly would have had a lot on His mind. The hour had come in which He would depart from this world (verse 1). The devil had already influenced Judas to betray Him (verse 2). But His heart continued to be devoted to service. Here's the lesson in verse 14, If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Having a servant's heart is at the center of Christianity. Can we be a Christian and not be a servant? Can we be a Christian and not be about the Lord's work? Can we be a Christian and not love our neighbor as ourselves? The answer can be found in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Jesus asked, which one of the three was a neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? The lawyer answered, He who showed mercy on him.

There is most certainly a connection between Christianity and service. Serving others can be a pathway to spiritual growth and a deeper faith. May God help us to have a servant's heart.

God Is Greater

Renn Ferguson

"For whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything" 1 John 3:20, ESV.

Some interpret this passage as a warning. If we know that we have sinned, God does too. This is correct. Solomon taught that God will bring every secret thing into judgment (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Others (myself included) view this as a comforting message. 1 John 3:19 states, "By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him." What is the "this" under consideration? Back up one more verse, "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." (V. 18). Assurance of our salvation comes from genuine love.

Paul wrote in Romans 13:8-10, "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, 'you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: 'you shall love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling the law." We see that genuine love does behave itself in harmful ways towards others. Jesus had previously defined genuine love in John 13:34-35, "a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." True love is more than avoiding harm, it is seeking the good of others.

The unfortunate truth is that we do not always love as we should. No matter how hard we may try. This is when 1 John 3:20 comes in. We are ever aware of our failures and that creates tension in our hearts. We want to do what is right but find ourselves doing wrong. The great news is that God is greater than our hearts. This is not a cheap cop-out or excuse of sin. It is assurance that God knows where our desires truly lie. He knows that if it were possible we would always do what is right.

If we pursue true love both in attitude and action we can reassure our hearts before God.