Friday, December 20, 2013

As Christ Loved the Church



This is part two of our look at how we can apply 1 Corinthians 11:1 to our leadership of our families. 

1 Corinthians 11:1
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).
I think we could all work on this.

Ephesians 5:25-28

New International Version (NIV)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing[a] her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

We are told to love our wives just as Christ loved the church.  He loved the church so much that he gave himself up for it.  He sacrificed his life for the church and expects us to do the same for our wives.  I found this article that talks about this topic and I thought the following paragraph was really good.
“And let’s be clear about something else. Many of us, when considering the idea of giving our life for our spouse, think about jumping in front of a bullet for them. Or we envision some hypothetical situation where we sacrifice ourselves to save them. That’s good, but we often miss the much more common – and more difficult – way we are called to give our lives for them. It isn’t in some hypothetical situation that we find in action movies. It’s what we are faced with every single morning when we wake up. It’s the everyday, ordinary ways we serve them. It’s always having them at the center of your thoughts and intentions. It’s waking up in the morning and thinking about your wife before you think about yourself. Serving her in every little thing you do before serving yourself. It’s radical – just like the vows you made.”


I think we find the ultimate example of Christ’s love in this verse.

Luke 22:42

New International Version (NIV)
42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”
Jesus obviously didn’t really want to go to the cross, but he laid aside what he really wanted to do and did what was required of him. 

Here’s how I think this applies to us.  We are called to sacrifice ourselves for our wives, whatever that entails.  It may not be what we really want, but the needs of our wives need to come before our needs and wants.  That could mean a lot of things.
 
It could mean that if your wife needs or desires something then we make sure that she gets whatever that is.  Even if it means that we have to do without something that we need or desire.

If your wife needs time away then provide it for her. Even if it means letting her spend some time out with friends and you taking care of the kids.

If your wife needs help with the house, then do it.  Sacrifice some time and whatever your idea of what a man’s job is and help her with the dishes, cleaning, laundry, or whatever needs to be done.

If your wife needs more of you then make some sacrifices.  That could mean less time with our buddies, less time at the range, less time fishing or hunting, less time playing golf. I think this quote from Rick Warren really applies here.

“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.”
― Rick Warren

The list could go on and on.

I think we will find that if we start sacrificing our desires that we can fulfill the need and desires of our wives then it will be well worth the sacrifice.  We will probably find that are willing to make some sacrifices for us as well.  

So guys let’s step up for our wives and make the sacrifices that she needs. 

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Family Servants

It's been a long time since I posted a blog.  I recently started a men's group on Facebook. I created it to encourage and challenge the men in the group.Well recently I've had 1 Corinthians 11:1 on my
heart.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11 Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah).

So I'm posting several small studies on how this verse applies to us leading our families.

If you are interested in joining the men's group you can find it at https://www.facebook.com/groups/actlikemenrlc/

This was the first post on being servant leaders to our families.

Family Servants




Philippians 2:6-7
New International Version (NIV)
Who, being in very nature[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
    by taking the very nature[
b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.
John 13:3-5
Amplified Bible (AMP)
[That] Jesus, knowing (fully aware) that the Father had put everything into His hands, and that He had come from God and was [now] returning to God,
Got up from supper, took off His garments, and taking a [servant’s] towel, He fastened it around His waist.
Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the [servant’s] towel with which He was girded.
If Jesus is our ultimate example then we need to follow his lead.

Philippians 2:5

New International Version (NIV)
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
 To be the men that our family needs we need to become servant leaders to them.
So what is a servant leader?
In the Greek the word for servant is duolos which means.
  1. a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
    1. a slave
    2. metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men
    3. devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests
  2. a servant, attendant
The Hebrew word for leader is "nagiyd." It pictures a person under authority who fulfills the wishes of that authority. God wants leaders who will listen to His will and execute it faithfully with divinely appointed authority. The related Greek word for leadership is "diakonia." This literally means serving at tables.
Servant leadership is both a leadership philosophy and set of leadership practices. Traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid.” By comparison, the servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.
Scholars generally agree that these characteristics are central to the development of a servant-leader:
  • Listening: A servant leader puts the emphasis upon listening effectively to others.
  • Empathy: A servant leader needs to understand others' feelings and perspectives.
  • Healing: A servant leader helps foster each person's emotional and spiritual health and wholeness.
  • Awareness: A servant leader understands his or her own values and feelings, strengths and weaknesses.
  • Persuasion: A servant leader influences others through their persuasiveness.
  • Conceptualization: A servant leader needs to integrate present realities and future possibilities.
  • Stewardship: A servant leader is a steward who holds a families resources in trust for the greater good.
  • Commitment to the growth of people: A servant leader is responsible for serving the need of others.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
Luke 2:26
26 But this is not to be so with you; on the contrary, let him who is the greatest among you become like the youngest, and him who is the chief and leader like one who serves.
"A Godly Leader finds strength by realizing his weakness, finds authority by being under authority, finds direction by laying down his own plans, finds vision by seeing the needs of others, finds credibility by being an example, finds loyalty by expressing compassion, finds honor by being faithful, finds greatness by being a servant."
--Roy Lessin
According to John Maxwell
“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned.  It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated.  It must be earned.  The only thing a title can buy is a little time – either to increase your level of influence with others or to erase it.”
So men lets step up step up into our roles as servant leaders.  Our families are waiting for us to.