"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-- the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." (Acts 20:24, NIV)
Many people can misunderstand, "I consider my life worth nothing to me," as some sort of perverted, religious aestheticism. It is not.
As you know, I usually share a text from my regular daily reading for the daily devotional. I have been reading through the Scriptures in the NIV this quarter, and when I read, "However, I consider my life worth nothing...," today, I had to ask the question, Really? Most of us do everything we can to preserve ourselves. This causes stress in ourselves as well as in our relationships. Now Paul was not revealing some "poor self image." He was simply declaring his absolute loyalty to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The reason for his, "However," is in the previous verse, "prison and hardships are facing me."
I have referred before to the person who said, "My business is to extend the Kingdom of God. I only cobble shoes to pay the expenses." I discovered that it was William Carey, later to become the great missionary to India. What is there about a person whose life is so captivated by Jesus Christ that he could say such a statement, or, " I consider my life worth nothing to me..."? Such a person has encountered Jesus in a very real, "deep," and intimate way. Religion to such a person is not an addendum to life, i.e., something to help them through "trials and tribulations" only, and then rail on God when things don't go their way. Rather, it is a personal relationship with the Living Triune God in Jesus; nothing is more important. Jesus Christ is their life's Foundation. I say, "Nothing is more important," not to say that living in Jesus and for Jesus is an exclusionary life. When one truly surrenders his/her life to Jesus, that person in reality becomes a "person for others," as Jesus said to those First Century disciples, "I am among you as one who serves." The message was clear: "And so you will be to others."
It is a blessed life which is a serving life, a life which thinks of others, cares about others. In the process we can then say in all sincerity with Paul, "However, I consider my life worth nothing," i.e., that old life of satisfying the flesh, of "protecting" oneself, or "playing it safe," or that life of "you have to take care of number one." Rather, it is the life described by the song writer, "All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give." What precedes the, "However," of your life today?
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me by your grace and mercy to consider, "my life worth nothing to me." Amen.
********************
* Blog Site: jhs58.blogspot.com
* Briefing on last Fall's Mission, January, 23 at 19:00, Katie Burt's house.
Many people can misunderstand, "I consider my life worth nothing to me," as some sort of perverted, religious aestheticism. It is not.
As you know, I usually share a text from my regular daily reading for the daily devotional. I have been reading through the Scriptures in the NIV this quarter, and when I read, "However, I consider my life worth nothing...," today, I had to ask the question, Really? Most of us do everything we can to preserve ourselves. This causes stress in ourselves as well as in our relationships. Now Paul was not revealing some "poor self image." He was simply declaring his absolute loyalty to Jesus Christ and His Kingdom. The reason for his, "However," is in the previous verse, "prison and hardships are facing me."
I have referred before to the person who said, "My business is to extend the Kingdom of God. I only cobble shoes to pay the expenses." I discovered that it was William Carey, later to become the great missionary to India. What is there about a person whose life is so captivated by Jesus Christ that he could say such a statement, or, " I consider my life worth nothing to me..."? Such a person has encountered Jesus in a very real, "deep," and intimate way. Religion to such a person is not an addendum to life, i.e., something to help them through "trials and tribulations" only, and then rail on God when things don't go their way. Rather, it is a personal relationship with the Living Triune God in Jesus; nothing is more important. Jesus Christ is their life's Foundation. I say, "Nothing is more important," not to say that living in Jesus and for Jesus is an exclusionary life. When one truly surrenders his/her life to Jesus, that person in reality becomes a "person for others," as Jesus said to those First Century disciples, "I am among you as one who serves." The message was clear: "And so you will be to others."
It is a blessed life which is a serving life, a life which thinks of others, cares about others. In the process we can then say in all sincerity with Paul, "However, I consider my life worth nothing," i.e., that old life of satisfying the flesh, of "protecting" oneself, or "playing it safe," or that life of "you have to take care of number one." Rather, it is the life described by the song writer, "All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give." What precedes the, "However," of your life today?
Father, in Jesus' Name, help me by your grace and mercy to consider, "my life worth nothing to me." Amen.
********************
* Blog Site: jhs58.blogspot.com
* Briefing on last Fall's Mission, January, 23 at 19:00, Katie Burt's house.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
