Attitude of Servanthood

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Attitude of Servanthood ------------------- Date: 6/14/2003
Keywords: "ambition" "drive" "goals" "greatness" "servant" "weakness"
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Passage: Mark 9:33-37*

33. Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?"

34. But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.

35. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

36. Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them,

37. "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me."

Questions

1. Are you goal-oriented?

 

2. List five personal goals.

 

3. How many of your goals have to do with being obedient to God's will for you life?

 

Practical help

Jesus knew what his disciples were arguing about, just like he knows what's going on in your life today. The disciples kept silent because they were embarrassed to admit their selfish condition to their leader. They were going to "solve" it without him — they thought, even though they logically would never be able to do so.

He knows your sex drive and he knows your ambitions. He knows what in you is healthy and good, and he knows those activities that could destroy you. But he tends to quietly wait until you are ready to listen. You are ready to listen when you tell him you are and then patiently wait to hear.

Jesus did not condemn their ambition, he just redirected it. He showed them how to get what they want. The problem was that the road to success in Jesus' eyes is going in a direction opposite from self gratification and obtaining power at the expense of others. In fact he wants you to tenderly care for the weak and helpless in his name. Pornography is a form of exploitation of others and therefore is not consistent with pleasing God and becoming useful in his kingdom.

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*Scripture taken from the New King James Version (NKJV), © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.