Serve Others Archives - Counting My Blessings

We can be quick to judge our church leaders and hold them to perfectly impossible standards . . . is that what God intended for those who want to serve Him? #Pastors #ChurchLeadership #Blessings

So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?
1 Timothy 3:2–5

Okay, let’s make a list…

Faultless
Faithful
Self-controlled
Wise
Honorable
Hospitable
Advisor
Sober
With a Perfectly Well-behaved Family

The truth is, based on that list, I don’t know anyone who is qualified to be a church leader.

For example, perhaps you, like me, have noticed that the “manage his own household” challenge is easier said than done. Every member of every household comes with free will, opinions, and a sinful nature. Did God really intend that a problem in a pastor’s household is a deal-breaker that disqualifies them from the ministry? Was He really demanding perfect wisdom and faultlessness?

I certainly hope not.

I think the point Paul was making is important for all of us . . . those who are full-time church workers and those who serve as part-time volunteers:

Spiritual life begins at home!

God wants us to make our families a priority. Whether our career is in ministry, business, education, or anything else, we are each called to love and serve at home.

So, before you and I are tempted to judge our pastors and point out all the perfectly impossible qualities they are failing to exhibit . . . we must remember that we are not living those qualities perfectly either. We need God’s grace. Our families need God’s grace. And our church leaders need God’s grace as well.

Will you join me and pause today to take this list of qualities to the throne of grace? I think we all need God’s love and forgiveness in many of these areas. And Good News!

Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
Hebrews 4:16

Mercy for forgiveness and grace to help us change. If that list of impossible qualities is something God wants for His children . . . He will give those who turn to Him the strength they need to begin to make them a priority.

What a blessing to serve God who is able to make the impossible—POSSIBLE!

A Prayer for God’s Mercy and Grace with our Perfectly Impossible

Father, forgive me. I can be so quick to see the imperfections in others while failing to admit them in myself. I don’t want to admit that I am not faultless, or faithful, wise, and self-controlled as You want me to be. I can be quick to point out the weaknesses in other families while overlooking those in my own. I am so sorry. Please help me to be caring and compassionate. Help me to first show Your love in serving my family. Help me faithfully and willingly make the people with whom I live a priority. Help me love like Jesus.

And when I’m poured out and spread thin please help me run to You for rest and renewal. Please graciously fill me with Your Spirit that I might grow in faith and know, trust, and obey Your will. Please make possible those perfectly impossible qualities Your want in me. I love You, Lord. I pray to live every moment of every day for Your glory. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who makes all things possible. Amen.

You and I have been shown so much grace. May we all extend that same grace to each other as we make it our personal goal to focus on the author and perfecter of our faith—Jesus. May we all make our families a priority. May we encourage our church leaders to take the time they need to make their own families a priority.

May we love like Jesus!

On today’s note write:

Today, I will trust God to make the perfectly impossible possible in me!

May God bless you today as you trust God to work in you and help you live with the qualities He tells you He wants for you.

Click here to read the rest of 1 Timothy 3.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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We’re used to thinking of firefighters running into burning buildings when others are running out. We’re familiar with stories of their bravery and daring rescues.

It is less common for us to hear about their everyday humble acts of service.

The other night Rev and I came downstairs to start making dinner and noticed a strong odor in our laundry room. We thought it smelled like gas, and not something we could ignore.

So, I called the non-emergency number for our local fire department.

In less than ten minutes, flashing lights and blaring sirens announced their arrival.

We opened the door to a team of firefighters dressed out in full uniform, with testing equipment in hand. I’ll have to admit I was a little anxious when the last one came in wielding an axe.

They immediately agreed there was a smell. One they described as somewhere between gasoline and pickle juice. Yep, that’s right . . . pickle juice.

The testing equipment said it wasn’t a gas leak, which began a search for the source. Lots of questions: did we bring in any cleaning products? get any gasoline? spill anything? etc.

At this point we thought the team would move on to help someone else or return to the station to watch the basketball game.

But they were not satisfied. They could smell something and wanted to be certain we were safe.

Now for the part of a firefighter’s life we never hear about . . .

I don’t know if my house has ever been more thoroughly sniffed. Upstairs. Downstairs. Basement. In the washer and dryer. And yes even the dirty jeans in the laundry room. (Very thankful our dirty underwear was still in the hamper in the bathroom. Whew!)

Finally, after blowing a high-powered fan through the house to air it out, the youngest guy on the team was assigned the task of mopping the laundry room floor. (I’m thinking of inviting them back next week.)

Smelling dirty laundry and mopping floors. I had no idea that was part of a firefighter’s job description.

They never did find the source of the smell, and left telling us if it continued or got worse to please call them again.

Thank you! Thank you!

We thanked them profusely, and all they continued to say is, “It’s our job, and we love it!”

Today’s Activity:

Serve someone.

Go above and beyond what’s expected.

You choose; whatever or wherever the Lord leads.

Then please come back and tell us about it. I love when we encourage one another.

But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many. Mark 10:43-45