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Serving God: Protected By Integrity
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Serving God: Protected By Integrity

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day three in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Protected By Integrity

“Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.  May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you.“
Psalm 25:20-21 (NIV)

Have you ever been falsely accused of something?  Did your reputation at the time help protect you from the accusations or make the accusations more believable?  What are some things that make some rumors more, or less, believable than others?  How important to you is your physical protection as you serve others?  Are you as concerned about the protection of your character?  How will serving with integrity protect your character, not only from false accusations but from the temptation to do wrong?

We probably all know someone who could be accused of almost anything and we wouldn’t believe it.  They have lived a life of integrity that requires a greater burden of proof in regard to wrongdoing than just someone’s word.  We live in a time where words fly so fast that accusations simply can’t be avoided as we serve people.  It is through our integrity that we are protected from accusations which have no basis.

As you pray, ask God to fill you with a desire to live a life of integrity.  Pray that your pursuit of God would lead you to a life that is lived with a consistency between what you say and what  you do.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Judged By Integrity
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Serving God: Judged By Integrity

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day two in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Judged By Integrity

“Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.“
Psalm 7:7-8 (NIV)

Would you want to be judged by your current level of integrity?  Why?  How does judging a person according to their integrity, rather than on hearsay, help you serve them more effectively?  How does a reputation of integrity, or lack of it, affect how those you serve judge you?  How effective is your serving likely to be if people judge you as having a lack of integrity?  How will you make your actions match your words as you serve today?

Years ago I worked on a commercial roofing crew with a group of guys that were not walking in fellowship with God, to say the least.  It’s not that they were bad guys, they were simply living to please self with no regard for God.  Eventually one of them told me that I was the first Christian who actually lived what I said.  They said that everyone else they had encountered eventually joined them in activities previously proclaimed as wrong.  Instead of judging Christians by their integrity, they had judged all Christians by the lack of integrity they had observed.

As you pray, ask God to help  you live in such a way that being judged according to your integrity would be a good thing.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Integrity As a Lifestyle
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Serving God: Integrity As a Lifestyle

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day one in the ninth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Integrity As a Lifestyle

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’  But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.  Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.“
Matthew 5:33-37 (NIV)

How would you describe a life of integrity?  How would you live a life of integrity?  What are some things that tempt you to not keep your word?  Why?  How are integrity and justice related?  Can true justice be found without complete integrity?  How should God’s view of you doing the right thing influence the way you serve?  Do you always seek to do right?  Why or why not?  Would your serving of others change if you were to live with integrity as a lifestyle?  

It seems that the longer I live, the more the average person’s response to anything is conditional.  While it may be good that we’re more hesitant to say yes or no, we’re also less likely to stay with yes or no once we’ve said it.  God calls us to live a lifestyle of integrity so that everyone knows that our yes means yes and our no means no.  Living with such integrity as we serve not only represents a God that has complete integrity, but it helps those we serve learn to trust us. 

As you pray, ask God to help you see why you may have difficulty in keeping your word.  Pray that you would realize the importance of integrity as it relates to your witness of God.  Pray that you would be known as a person of integrity.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Guard Your Heart With Obedience
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Serving God: Guard Your Heart With Obedience

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day seven in the eighth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Guard Your Heart With Obedience

“The wicked have set a snare for me, but I have not strayed from your precepts.
Your statutes are my heritage forever; they are the joy of my heart.
My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end.“
Psalm 119:110-112 (NIV)

What first comes to mind when you hear the word obey?  Have you ever been accused of doing something wrong when you were just doing what you were told to do?  How does it feel to be able to pass the accusations on to a higher authority to deal with?  In what ways can obedience protect you as you serve?  How does disobedience put you and those you serve at risk?  How does obedience to God help you serve with confidence?  How will guarding your heart with obedience help you to serve today?

One of our enemy’s primary weapons that he uses against us is accusation.  He is the great accuser but we have a greater weapon in this battle — obedience to the truth of God’s Word.  When we live a life of obedience, God’s authority can be used to refute the accusations that are hurled our way.  When our heart is protected by obedience, we are free to serve without fear.  Our obedience to God, and to those He puts in authority over us, helps us to serve Him, and others, fully.

As you pray, ask God to help you serve with the humility of obedience.  Pray that you would be able to live free from accusations that stick because of your obedience.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Guard Your Heart With Understanding
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Serving God: Guard Your Heart With Understanding

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day six in the eighth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Guard Your Heart With Understanding

“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.“
Psalm 119:34 (NIV)

How well do you understand the purposes behind the rules and policies where you serve?  How well do you understand God’s purpose for giving us His instructions for living?  Do you find it easier to do something when you understand the reason behind doing so?  Have you ever said, or done, something in response to a person that you later regretted when you more fully understood what they were going through?  How will guarding your heart with an understanding of God’s Word help you serve more effectively today?

Years ago I served as a cabin dad and team leader at MCSC for the very first time and had a group of boys that were, well, less than cooperative.  Before the very first night was over, my heart had become angry with one boy in particular and I was ready to call it quits and go home.  The leader of the camp week could see that I was frustrated with the boy, and with him, so he pulled me aside and provided information that increased my understanding about what was going on.  That bit of understanding guarded my heart throughout the week and helped me to serve this boy, and the entire team, well. 

Pray that God would guard your heart with understanding.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Guard Your Heart With Trust
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Serving God: Guard Your Heart With Trust

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day five in the eighth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Guard Your Heart With Trust

“Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.  He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.“
Psalm 112:6-7 (NIV)

Who do you trust?  Why?  How does trust, or a lack of it, influence the way you serve?  How likely is bad news to keep you from serving as you should?  Has fear ever made you hesitant to serve — or even kept you from serving — when you knew God wanted you to serve?  Did the real problem lie with your level of trust of those you were supposed to serve or with your trust of God?  How does guarding your heart with trust help you to overcome the fear that keeps you from serving?  How will trust in God help you serve more effectively today.

Sometimes we learn things as we serve that are difficult to understand.  It is during those times that our trust in God is often tested.  Most of us want to erase bad news, or at least change it to something that doesn’t negatively impact our life.  It is our trust in God that guards our heart as we serve so that fear doesn’t have to lead us into wrong actions.  When your heart is guarded by trust, you are able to serve without fear.

As you pray, ask God to help your trust in Him to grow daily.  Pray that you would turn to God for wisdom in serving through the midst of any bad news that comes your way.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Guard Your Heart With a Steadfast Spirit
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Serving God: Guard Your Heart With a Steadfast Spirit

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day four in the eighth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Guard Your Heart With a Steadfast Spirit

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.“
Psalm 51:10 (NIV)

How steady would you describe your spirit?  How easily are you driven up and down, back and forth by ever-changing emotions?  How often do the circumstances of serving make you feel like giving up?  How would a focus on purity be related to having a steadfast spirit.  Do you ever become weary in serving?  How often do you turn to God to renew your spirit when you become weary?  How does having a steadfast spirit guard your heart while you serve?

Serving people can be a messy business.  Without a guarded heart it can be far too easy to let our spirit be tossed to and fro.  Yet it is a spirit that is steadfast on the things of God that helps to guard our heart.  Serving with a steadfast spirit keeps us from allowing an unguarded heart to lead us into unproductive actions and relationships.  When God is the source of our steadfast spirit, we are able to say no to temptation and yes to serving with purity.

As you pray, ask God to keep your spirit focused on Him.  Pray that He would guard your heart by the power of His steadfast Spirit within you.  Pray that you would serve with pure motives and actions through a steadfast spirit.

In prayer,

Tom

Serving God: Guard Your Heart With God’s Counsel
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Serving God: Guard Your Heart With God’s Counsel

It is my prayer that every Christian recognizes the importance of serving God through the way we serve others.  There are few things, if any, that are as emotionally exhilarating, and draining, as the task of serving others.  Having worked in a variety of ministry settings, including various roles within Christian camp ministry, I understand the excitement that often comes with the beginning of a new ministry or ministry season.  I also understand the weariness than can develop when our focus begins to drift away from the ministry of serving and onto ourselves.

This is day three in the eighth week of devotions from the book, “Serving God: Devotions for Active Worship”.  This devotional book is laid out in thirteen weeks of daily devotions with each week wrapped around an aspect of how we can serve others.  Each of these devotions are designed to help a person spend time with God to see how serving others is an act of worship.

Serving God:
Guard Your Heart With God’s Counsel

“I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.  I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.“
Psalm 16:7-8 (NIV)

How often do you seek advice?  Who do you usually seek it from?  Why?  Have you ever found yourself in difficulty or trouble because you listened to bad advice?  Have you had times when it was obvious that you avoided trouble because you followed good advice?  How do you determine what counsel to listen to?  Do you live daily with an awareness of Jesus being called “Wonderful Counselor”?  How would your serving change if the counsel you share was always given from a heart that was guarded by God’s counsel?

It seems like advice is always plentiful but it can easily lead us astray if we don’t guard our heart with God’s counsel.  When we listen to, and for, God’s counsel through His Word and in our prayer time, we are able to serve with a guarded heart.  It is through God’s counsel that our heart is protected from inappropriate relationships that our serving may lead us toward. 

As you pray, ask God to help you keep His counsel fresh in your mind as you serve.  Pray that you would always evaluate the advice you hear from others in light of the counsel you receive from God’s Word.

In prayer,

Tom