God’s Core Values That Direct Our Life: Part Two

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

God gives us Core Values—values based on the word of God. These core values keep us from wandering away from Him and instead, keep us moving down the road of His perfect will. His perfect will for our life will play a part in fulfilling His perfect will in the earth. And blessing is a part of that perfect will for us. Yesterday I talked about the first Core Value—Vision. The second Core Value that helped me find direction to walk out God’s will for my life was and is, Servant Leadership.

I remember early on in my Christian walk praying to the Lord, Dear Lord, giving my life to you has changed my entire world. Living for you is making me a new person I actually like. Lord, I’m sorry. Like isn’t a strong enough word. You are molding me into a new person I actually love. For the first time in my life, I love whom I am becoming. And Lord, that’s only happening because of you teaching me who you want me to become in Christ. Please help me to be sincere. Help me to help others discover just how loving you are and how miraculously life-transforming your word is. And please show me and keep me in the path to serve you and your will for my life! Please help me to live my life for you from now until Heaven becomes my home.

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t feel worthy of God’s love but I knew that God had washed my sins away with the blood of Jesus and made me worthy—if I could embrace that truth by faith. No matter how much we clean up, compared to Jesus, we’ll always feel like we fall short. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT2) “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind”. This is why Jesus clothed us in His robes of righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 (NLT2) says “I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom in his wedding suit or a bride with her jewels.” It is because of His righteousness in me that we can serve Him the best we can from a sincere heart!

When we think of the word serving we might picture a waiter or waitress serving people. Serving the Lord happens whenever we show others the love of God in the diversity of ways that God uses all people in His plan.

And when we make that choice by faith, then theses scriptures became our foundation for servant leadership. We look to Timothy as a role model of sincerity and selflessness! Philippians 2:20-22 (NIV) ” I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.” I sincerely cared for people and wanted to help them with no strings attached, and with no motivations for get-backs—just because God loved them! It’s like I craved to be this person Paul described. (And not just because my name was Timothy!)

I had a calling on my life and desired to serve God in ministry full time but that came much later. I still wanted to be this person as a young Christian. And so I prayed for God to direct my steps and for the grace to say yes and be diligent and rightly motivated in serving people in anyway I could.

I want you to know that this opened door after door for me. Most people are motivated to look after themselves and their own self-interests. Not the interests of others. I was determined to serve my Pastor and the people in my church and the people God placed in my life through work and otherwise, every day! I never drove a day to work without praying, God help me be a light! Give me favor with people. Help them want to know what brings so much joy to my life. Help me to share you! Help me to make their life better. God was faithful to honor those prayers and I could fill books with the stories of God helping me help others! And now that I’m older and can look back on my life, I see God directing my steps and keeping me on His path and perfect will the entire way. And in every step, He helped me learn and become that servant leader that influenced and help others change their lives through Jesus Christ.

This Core Value of servant leadership and putting others before myself, did not steal from my life. It added countless blessings, a richness, and a peace that is almost indescribable. And I love who God helped me become and I love the life I’ve lived and have very little regret. This core value helped direct my feet in the path of God’s perfect will for my life. And I am still on it and living it even as I write this to you today! And He wants the same for you! Please learn the value of servant leadership and watch God direct your steps through it all. I‘ll write more about the other three core values in upcoming posts.

Mark 9:35 (NKJV) “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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