day 34-35

i finished the book... somehow i think it's somth tt will speak different things at different times... and here's another two chapters:

day 34
Service starts in your mind.
To be a servant requires a mental shift, a change in your attitudes. God is always more interested in why we do something than in what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements.

Servants think more about others than about themselves. Servants focus on others, not themselves. This is true humility: not thinking less of ourselves but thinking of ourselves less. They are self forgetful... When we stop focusing on our own needs we become aware of the needs around us...

Unfortunately, a lot of our servcie is often self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to be admired, or to achieve our own goals. That is manipulation, not ministry... Real servants don't try to use God for their purposes. They let God use them for His purposes... Thinking like a servant is difficult because it challenges the basic problem of my life: I am, by nature, selfish. I think most about me. That's why humility is a daily struggle, a lesson I must relearn over and over.

Servants think about their work, not what others are doing. They don't compare, criticise, or compete with other servants or ministries. They're too busy doing the work God has given them...

It is not our job to evaluate the Master's other servants. the Bible says, "Who are you to criticise someone else's servant? The Lord will determine whether His servant has been sucessful." It is also not our job to defend ourselves against criticism.

Servants base their identity in Christ. Because they remember they are loved and accepted by grace, servants don't have to prove their worth. They willingly accept jobs that insecure people would consider "beneath" them...

If you're going to be a servant, you must settle your identity in Christ. Only secure people can serve. insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others. They fear exposure of their weaknesses and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretensions. The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval... When you base your worth and identity on your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and that allows you to really serve them best.

day 35
God loves to use weak people.
Everyone has weaknesses. In fact you have a bundle of flaws and imperfeactions: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. You may also have uncontrollable circumstances that weaken you, such as financial or relational limitations. The mroe important issue is what you do with these. Usually we deny our weaknesses, defend them, excuse them, hide, and resent them. This prevents God from using them the way He desires...

Your weaknesses are not an accident. God deliberately allowed them in your life for the purpose of demonstrating his power through you.
God has never been impressed with strength or self-sufficiency. in fact, he is drawn to people who are weak and admit it...
The Bible is filled with examples of how God loves to use the imperfect, ordinary people to do extraordinary things in spite of their weaknesses. If God only used perfect people, nothing owuld ever get one, because none of us is flawless. That God uses imperfect people is encouraging news for all of us.

Admit your weaknesses. Own up to your imperfections. Stop pretending to have it all together, and be honest about yourself.
Be content with your weaknesses. ...Paul gives us several reasons to be content with our inborn weakness. First, they cause us to depend on God... Whenever you feel weak, God is reminding you to depend on Him.
Our weaknesses also prevent arrogance.. (and) encourage fellowship between believers...

Most of all our weaknesses increase our capacity for sympathy and ministry. We are far more likely to be compassionate and considerate of the weaknesses of others. God wants you to have a Christlike ministry on earth. That means other people are going to find healing in your wounds. your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts. The things you're most embarrassed about, most ashamed of, and most reluctant to share are the very tools God can use most powerfully to heal others.

Honestly share your weaknesses. Ministry begins with vulnerability. the more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others...

Of course, vulnerability is risky... When you reveal your failures, feeling, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk...
Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses... Vulnerability is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people.

Glory in your weaknesses. ...Instead of posing as self-confident and invincible, see yourself as a thophy of grace. When Satan points out you weaknesses, agree with him and fill your heart with praise for Jesus who "understands every weakness of ours," and for the Holy Spirit, who "helps us in our weakness."


man... it's so true..
and i've along way to go.. and so much more to learn.