Staff devotions: Called to Serve - 1 Samuel 16:7b

1 Samuel 16:7b          “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Unlike its summer counterpart, I prefer watching the Winter Olympics because snow and ice are great equalizers when it comes down to individual performances. Even the best winter athletes can slip on the ice or fall on the snow, so you never really know who is going to win an event. There also doesn’t appear to be as much self-promotion and personal aggrandizement that you now sadly get with the Summer Games. In fact, I stopped watching the Summer Olympics years ago because it was more about good looks, commercial success, and money marketing than the sports themselves.

Today’s highlighted verse derives from a special event in the life of the Old Testament prophet Samuel and that of Israel’s most famous king, David. Samuel has been sent on a special mission by God to anoint a successor to the failed King Saul. When Samuel sees the sons of Jesse, he initially thinks that the most powerful and strongest among them should become king.

But God intervenes and reminds Samuel that He looks at the heart of man, and not his outward appearance, when He chooses a person for a special purpose or calling. Samuel should have easily remembered this because he was chosen by God as a lowly child to become a great prophet.

Churches often call upon their members to take up ministries, missions, and tasks for which the individuals may not feel worthy or best suited. In my own time as a minister, I have seen some people turn down a request or invitation to do something special for the church, simply because they do not feel adequate. But if the calling ultimately comes from God, then He believes that the person can fulfill the task and He will provide them with the ability and strength to carry out His plan. Feeling unprepared or unworthy shows both integrity and humility, two beautiful qualities that actually delight the Lord, and also enable Him to work with that person to fulfill their calling.

Questions for personal reflection

Have I been asked to serve the church in a special capacity? How did I respond?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You call all of us to follow and serve You in our churches and communities. Open our hearts, minds, and lives to do Your bidding, even though we may feel anxious and unworthy about being asked or called. Guide us and grant us the acceptance and ability to do whatever we can for You and Your church. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please send John an email.

Today’s drawing is one of John’s latest Snowbird drawings called “Bluebird Dawn.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3685/12497934525_c52a6c7ca1_b.jpg

Teachers Devotions: Thinking Theologically

1 Corinthians 2:6       We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

Most pastors think differently from other people. Whether it’s because of our seminary teaching or the specialty of our calling, we think about things theologically rather than socially, politically, psychologically or scientifically. Some people believe that being spiritual is all that it takes to be a pastor, but a pastor’s theological thinking goes way beyond that.
Spirituality is about our personal relationship and individual journey to God. Theology is about what God thinks, what is important to Him, and how He relates to us.

Spiritual people sometimes make the mistake of trying to fit God into their lives. God becomes a convenient spiritual companion whose main task is to diminish our anxieties, see to our needs, and answer our prayers. Theological people see things differently: we are called to fit our lives in God’s Kingdom, so we seek to serve Him, doing what He wants, and answering His call. It’s a tough way to live life because it makes you think and act differently. The world patronizes and feasts upon spirituality in different forms, but it finds it difficult to swallow theological thinking and God’s wisdom.

When Paul writes about the wisdom and rulers of his age amounting to nothing, he’s expressing his opinion theologically. Worldly concerns and spiritual shallowness were just as prevalent then as they are now. Socially, politically, and economically they might have been relevant and important to the Romans of his day, but as far as eternally and theologically, they were of no consequence. Each age has its own culture, fashion, and trends but within a couple of decades, they are dead and forgotten. God’s words, works, and ways are eternally relevant, so no matter how much the world tries to diminish the divine and terminate theology, His thoughts, deeds, and acts will never disappear.

So the challenge for all of us today is this: are we going to be content with being spiritually light, or will we dare to begin thinking theologically?

Prayer:                        Lord God, Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are not our thoughts, yet we dare to seek Your wisdom, read Your words, and apply Your ways. Keep us from becoming spiritually shallow and self-serving. Help us to give weight to Your thoughts by making our lives fit Your Kingdom and calling. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.