Daily Jewel

by Pastor J.T. Carnell, McAlester, OK

“Serving Something Greater Than Ourselves”
"Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord..."- Proverbs 1:29

As a point of reference—the “they” Solomon speaks of are those who live in constant opposition to God—those who do not respect His knowledge, wisdom or power. They typically choose lust over love, war over peace, destruction above building, hatred over joy and selfishness above giving. Essentially—they will choose to serve their human nature over a spiritual one. And I think I know why! Serving one’s self is so much easier. It is far easier to serve ourselves than it is to serve others. Choosing our own path, following our own beliefs and thoughts just seems like the right thing to do. And, here is the clincher—it requires very little out of us. The very first sin was based upon this very idea. “You don’t need God! You only need yourself.” (Genesis 3) That same premise has caused countless millions to lose the only thing that has any significant meaning—their eternal soul. For example, many men would love to lead the life of Sean Connery. Tall, hand-some, and in demand, Connery played the glamorous part of 007 in six James Bond movies. He travels the world to shoot movies in places as exotic as Africa or the Orient. In addition to acting, He works as the executive producer of films, a position of considerate power. Yet when asked in an interview why, at the age of sixty-five, he continues to act, Connery gave a rather surprising reply: “Because I get the opportunity to be somebody better and more interesting than I really am.” Many people feel just like Sean Connery. Their lives are not all that they could be. They are not as good as they should be. Something is missing that even glamorous acting roles cannot fulfill. Only Christ makes a person’s life what it can be, should be, and must be! I see so much of myself in that illustration as well as being afraid to admit that I have served myself more than I would care to admit. I would dare say that most of us would come to that same conclusion and it is a painful admission. The only saving grace we have is the fact that Jesus can help to “erase” the self in us enough to seek Him more. And He was the perfect example of being a servant. What are you serving today? What initiates your motives? What drives your movements, your friendships, even your relationships? If serving God is your prime motivator, everything else will fall perfectly in line with that.
Pastor J. T. Carnell