April 2018 Articles

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Spiritual Corner:

Spiritual Corner: The Strength in Silence, Submission, and Service “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible”.--1st Corinthians 9:19 I think that a major problem with our world today is that we’re too concerned with ourselves. We want to make sure that we look good or are well thought of. We’re worried about our problems and finding solutions to them. Then when we do decide to worry about someone else, it’s always about our family or closest friends. Now I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with caring for and worrying about your family and friends, but I don’t believe that that’s all that God calls us to do. I mean, think about it. It’s easy to be kind to someone who treats you kindly, isn’t it? It’s second-nature to care for your closest relatives or your dearest friends. But does it come natural to be polite to a stranger who is downright rude to you in Walmart? Wouldn’t we rather just tell them off or set them straight?! What about all of those people who are of the opposite political party as you? You know, the ones who verbally attack your very lifestyle? Don’t you just want to give them a piece of your mind and educate them on the actual facts?! It’s hard to keep our cool sometimes and I’m afraid, that sometimes, we don’t even try to. As humans, we like the power we feel when we know we’re right and everyone else knows it, too. Again, we are very SELF-minded. We want to have the last word, we want to be right, and honestly, often times, we want to take care of our loved ones and don’t seem too concerned about the others of the world. So many of them are in these less than ideal situations because of their own poor choices and foolishness, right? They brought it on themselves, correct? Look, I’m not trying to point fingers. Several of these thoughts have been mine before, too. But here’s the thing. Notice the scripture on the top of this page. Paul makes a very bold statement. He basically is saying that, he knows he is free to make his own choices, to do as he wishes. He knows that no other human being owns him. However, Paul has decided to make himself a slave to others, to EVERYONE, in fact. Paul has made himself a slave, meaning his mission is to serve others and work for others. Paul says that he has made himself a slave to EVERYONE. Now, that doesn’t mean that he’s only a slave to his family or friends, it means EVERYONE. That includes enemies, the people he can’t stand to be in a room with, those that he dislikes the most. He has made himself a slave to them, meaning he is going to work tirelessly for them, serve them with a joyful spirit, and do whatever it is they require of him and he’s going to do it with a smile, regardless of how they treat him. Paul sets an example for us in this verse. He is showing us that we need to make ourselves a slave to others, to EVERYONE. But why is this? Why did Paul do this and why does he feel we need to as well? Pay attention to the last part of the scripture. Paul is doing this to “win as many as possible”. He’s striving with all of his might to bring as many souls to Jesus as he can. And isn’t that what we’re all supposed to be doing? We’re not just supposed to be making sure all of our friends, family, and church family is right with God. We’re supposed to be making sure everyone we encounter knows God. And to do this, you know what that means sometimes? It means making ourselves a slave to them sometimes, serving them, and allowing them to have the last word at times. It means letting go of some of our pride and sometimes, just being silent in the face of adversity. You think I’m crazy?
Look at the following scriptures from Mark chapter 14: “They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law came together. Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire. The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any. Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree. Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him: ‘We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with human hands and in three days will build another, not made with hands.’’ Yet even then their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, ‘Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?’ But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer’” (Mark 14:53-61). People were lying about Jesus, lying straight to his face and when asked to defend himself, He remained silent. How powerful that is to me! It’s so often SO very easy to defend our case and ourselves. We make ourselves look big and mighty and dare anyone to challenge us, but could we also remain silent in the same situation?? That’s what Jesus did. Of course what those men were saying about him wasn’t true. Of course He had the right to defend himself. But He didn’t. He remained silent. I think Jesus was teaching us a major lesson about humility and meekness in these scriptures. I think He’s illustrating that not every argument is worth it. He’s showing us that it’s not always important to prove that we’re right, for if even Jesus doesn’t always feel the need to prove He’s right, then why in the world do we feel like we have to?! I think Jesus was helping to show us that so many times, we should pick our battles. And more times than not, we should choose NOT to battle. It says in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. You see, our battles aren’t even against PEOPLE. They’re against SATAN. We need to stop lashing out at people and start LOVING them. Start being a slave for them and serving them. Start being like Jesus towards them. Because let’s make one thing very clear—Jesus was NOT weak. He was the strongest person to ever walk this earth. He illustrated that strength every time He remained silent, kept his cool, served those who were his enemies, and loved unceasingly. What’s harder to do? To fly off the handle on someone because they’ve insulted you? Or to remain silent and let it go when someone has insulted you? The only way we’re going to bring others to Jesus is if we love them and quit trying so hard to prove to them that we’re right and they’re wrong. Let’s use the quiet strength of Jesus and love others, become a slave for them, and allow our actions to lead them to Jesus. We need Jesus to show us what’s right every single day so it’s only natural that we allow Him to show the rest of the world the way as well. --Dana Alexander