Sometimes following Jesus is more than we bargained for. We wonder why God allows bad things to happen to us while others seem to have an easy life. Sometimes we feel like simply quitting.
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
1. Have you ever felt like giving up Christianity and taking up an easier way of life?
2. What aspects of Christianity feel like weighty demands or burdens to you?
As a young and timid leader, Timothy faced the dual dilemma of personal inadequacy and a problem-stricken church. If that weren’t enough, Paul, his father in the faith, was in prison facing the prospect of death. His arrest evidently resulted in widespread defections from the faith. This is the last letter Paul wrote before he was executed. From his cell he challenges Timothy to endure. Read 2 Timothy 1:8–2:7.
ACHIEVING GREATNESS THROUGH HUMILITY – MARK 10: 32-45
Pride comes in all shapes and sizes. Some of us put ourselves on a pedestal from which we judge the faults of everyone else. Others struggle with low self-esteem that they cannot take their eyes off themselves and their own inadequacies. Still others swing like a pendulum from one extreme to the other.
Personal Reflection: What is the difference between humility and a poor self-image? Reflect on Jesus’ humility. Spend time in prayer asking God to use this study to build a little more of Jesus’ character in you.
Paul exhorts us neither to exalt nor to belittle ourselves, but rather to think of ourselves with sober judgment (Romans 12:3). In Mark 10 we see that the disciples too were constantly learning to live humbly like the Lord Jesus. Read Mark 10:32–45.
On Using Your Spiritual Gifts – 1 Corinthians 12:1-26
Tongues, prophecy, teaching, evangelism, mercy. In recent years a wide spectrum of views has developed among Christians about spiritual gifts. In Fire in the Fireplace Charles Hummel describes a common misconception: “Christians are often urged to inquire: ‘What is my gift? How can I discover and use it?’ Our culture pressures us to ask: ‘Who am I? How can I be fulfilled and realize my potential?’ ” But is this the emphasis of the New Testament’s teaching on spiritual gifts?
Personal Reflection: How does your view of yourself affect the way you interact with other Christians? Pray that God will help you to understand your spiritual gifts.
Few people today are immune to the effects of our fragmented, impersonal and fiercely competitive society. Many of us, both inside and outside the church, have been bruised by broken families and relationships. These wounds have not only damaged our self-images but have also hindered us from responding fully to God’s love and purposes for our lives.
PERSONAL REFLECTION:
1. Why do you think so many people struggle with a poor self-image?
2. Bring your own self-image struggles and questions to God in prayer.
Power. Glory. Success. Throughout human history these have captured the hearts of men and women. In the midst of a society which measures worth by position and wealth, it is no wonder that Christians have struggled to stand for the values of the kingdom of God: humility, self-denial, gentleness, love. In the eyes of the world these are often signs of weakness rather than strength.
Personal Reflection:
1. What images come to your mind when you hear the word servant? Is it positive or negative?
2. In what ways do you struggle with seeing yourself as a servant?
Sometimes it seems that to trust or obey God would lead to disaster. In certain instances speaking the truth, maintaining financial integrity, remaining sexually pure or faithful run counter to our basic instincts or human reasoning. Personal Reflection: 1. Make a list of people that you consider trustworthy. For each person you list think of an example of how you have actually put your trust in him or her. 2. When is it hard for you to trust God?
“All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.” Tertullian, an early church theologian, boasted in one of his works that this statement of Jesus had become a fact. Even their enemies, writes Tertullian, marveled: “look how they love one another.”
Think of a Christian you consider compassionate. What stands out to you about that person?
Personal Reflection. Who has shown you compassion? Praise God for that person’s grace in your life.
Unfortunately the church has not always been marked by compassion and self-sacrifice. Far too often we speak of love but fail to back our words with deeds of kindness and mercy. We need to drink deeply from the simple but profound message of the story of the good Samaritan. Its familiarity has so weakened its impact that it is seen as an exception rather than the norm for the citizens of the kingdom of God. As you read this passage, imagine that you are hearing it from Jesus himself for the first time. Read Luke 10:25–37.
