Hey Everybody,
I hope you all had an amazing weekend at PLUG-IN 08! I know I had a blast with the 9 guys who were in my house. I find it slightly humorous that 18 6th graders, Matt Nelson and myself all think so much alike....scary.
I told you I would post on some thoughts I have after PLUG-IN, and here I am, true to my word. Last week I mentioned an amazing story in the Bible. In John 13:1-17, Jesus does something that is a little surprising to His disciples. At this point lets drop the disciples part, because I think that we get a little hung up on that word. Let's call them Jesus' friends. These were the guys that Jesus decided to spend a huge chunk of his ministry with. These were the guys He hung out with all the time. Jesus knew this was his last night He would get to spend with His friends. At one point in the evening, Jesus gets down and begins to wash these guys' feet. In these days people wore sandals and they walked around on dusty gravel roads all day. It's not hard to imagine that feet back then were really dirty and gross. As you can imagine, 2000 years ago the position of foot washer was not the most prestigious position. In fact, The servant who washed feet was the lowest of the lowest servants.
Jesus got down and washed His friends dirty feet. There is obviously some humor to be found in this story when Peter says “Jesus, you don't have to wash my feet” and Jesus looks at Peter and says “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” So Peter says, “Bring it on Lord, I want all of you!” As funny as I think that part is, Jesus was being totally authentic with Peter. He was saying this was something He had to do for His friends, and further on leaves His standard for the 12 men with Him.
Have you ever had someone tell you to do something that they wouldn't do in a million years? Well if Jesus had told these guys to go and serve other people, they would have looked at him like He was crazy. By getting down and doing what He taught, Jesus set an example of rightness. He was authentic in all he said and did. He practiced what He taught.
What can you take away from Jesus' example?
On a that note,I know I keep sharing stuff I get in the email, but I really want to share this with you guys because it is something that has been on my heart for people today. My dad sent me this story, and it went right on with the things I was talking with my guys about during Plug In.
A group of alumni, all highly established in their respective careers, got together for a visit with their old university professor.
The conversation soon turned to complaints about the endless stress of work and life in general...Offering his guests coffee, the professor went into the kitchen and soon returned with a large pot of coffee and an eclectic assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal - some plain, some expensive, some quite exquisite. Quietly he told them to help themselves to some fresh coffee . . . When each of his former students had a cup of coffee in hand, the old professor quietly cleared his throat and began to patiently address the small gathering . . .
''You may have noticed that all of the nicer looking cups were taken up first, leaving behind the plainer and cheaper ones. While it is only natural for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is actually the source of much of your stress-related problems . . .
''Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In fact, the cup merely disguises or dresses up what we drink. What each of you really wanted was coffee, not a cup, but you instinctively went for the best cups...then you began eyeing each other's cups . . .
'Now consider this: Life is coffee. Jobs, money, and position in society are merely cups. They are just tools to shape and contain life, and the type of cup we have does not truly define nor change the quality of the Life we live . . .
''Often, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee that God has provided us... God brews the coffee, but he does not supply the cups. Enjoy your coffee!''
The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have...
So please remember: Live simply. Love generously. Care Deeply. Speak Kindly. Leave the Rest to God.
I've noticed how quick we as people are to try and get things. I know when I was younger I always wanted to sit in the front seat or I wanted to be Player 1 when playing Super Nintendo, or I wanted whatever it was that I considered the best. As I got older I started to realize that when I didn't get my way I was upset and angry, and that just wasn't how God wanted me to be. I started to gain greater understanding of a verse that we hear so often, but scoff at because we don't like it's meaning. We can discuss more about it, but this week be thinking about the following verses. Obviously it's important because Jesus said this stuff more than once in more than one way. Once Jesus said it in a parable, and the other time He just said it.
Matthew 20:1-16
Mark 9:33-35
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