The Problem with Humility



This week, and this summer I have had the privilege of being on the receiving end of a service project for a change.  Over 85 youth, college, and now adults have made the pilgrimage to Wales to serve in the new Middle Park camp.  At first clearing the site, then waiting on tables and cleaning toilets, and now building a new shower facility for the 2013 season, while cleaning up on a lot of needed projects in the Powis prayer house as well as the camp.

Receiving a gift such as this can be well.... humbling.... actually quite unnerving.  We sign up to the Christian message in the words of Dietrich Bonhoffer, ‘I bid you come and die’, or in the words of Paul, ‘I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives within me’, and then we are off, to serve, to give, to sacrifice, to pour out our life blood as a fragrant offering to the most high God, bathed in love for Him, with others receiving the joy of our sacrifice.....BUT, what happens when you are on the receiving end of this.... Well, if you are a servant by nature, it is hard to receive, we grow accustom to giving, we grow accustom to going the extra mile for others, but to receive the extra mile, that is unnerving.... WHY...Because sometimes deep down, it is about us.. not the Lord.  Please don’t take this in the wrong light.  I simply mean that when people ‘bless you’, in word or in deed, we go one of two ways; We get to a point of saying, ‘enough’, that is all I need, go help someone else, I can take it from here...  or, we get used to having people pour into our lives and be become dependent on their endless love to keep our own life floating.  I often see the later in Christian homes where the parents sold out for Christ provide so much for their kids they miss the blessing of helping others themselves and eventually leave the church when their expectations begin to out strip the resources of their family, church and communities.
 
There has to be a ‘healthy’ balance of service and being served.  Of receiving resources and empowerment in humility to build HIS kingdom exponentially expanding HIS work, but also not falling into the trap of others becoming responsible for what we can and cannot accomplish.
Next Nov. Post: Update on Lehae (Africa Build 2013)

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