What's Driving It?

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, (I would paraphrase Paul to this point by saying ‘if you’re breathing!‘) then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”     ~Philippians 2:1-4

 As followers of Jesus, our calling is to be just like him. As disciples of Jesus, we’re committed to being just like him. That’s out goal. That’s our aim. That’s what we desire to do and be more than anything else. It’s what drives us. Being just like Jesus. Thinking like Jesus. Acting like Jesus.

And Paul says that means putting aside your position, putting aside everything, to become a servant to others.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.      ~Philippians 2:5-8

If being a Christian means being like Jesus, if following Christ means acting like Christ, then Christians are called to serve, not to be served. Christians are called to minister, not to be ministered to. Followers of Jesus are called to think of others, not themselves.

Why are we Christians? Why?

Are we Christians so we can belong to a group of successful, well-dressed people who meet in a nice, large, modern building? Are we Christians so we can do things our way with our people at our time? Are we Christians because it’s comfortable for us to be Christians?

If so, that’s not Christianity. It’s something else.

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Our oldest daughter, Whitney, is undergoing her MRI at 1:00 this afternoon. We’re meeting with the doctors at 1:00 Thursday to hear the results of all of her tests on her eyes and her optic nerves. Please continue this week to lift her up to our loving Father in prayer. Our trust is in him. Our faith is in him.

I’ve told Whitney most of her life that she suffers the things she suffers because God knows she can handle it. He’s equipped her with a special spirit and a special endurance that others don’t have. Other kids couldn’t handle everything you’ve had to handle, I tell her. And I try to give her a vision of how God’s going to use these things she’s overcoming to minister through her to other people for the rest of her life. She’ll forever be able to assist people and encourage people in ways that you and I never will. God shows us his strength in our weaknesses. He reveals his power in our infirmity. His might is shown in our feebleness. Praise God for his wonderful love and provision for his children!

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OK. We only know this one thing about the Cowboys. All we know about the Cowboys is this one thing. We know absolutely nothing else about the Cowboys except this one thing. Other than this one thing, we know nothing. Everything we know about the Cowboys is summed up in this one thing. At this point, nothing else is known.

Against really lousy, awful, pathetic quarterbacks, the Cowboys look pretty good. Against very good quarterbacks, the Cowboys get shredded.

That’s all we know.

Anything and everything else is merely speculation.

Peace,

Allan

6 Comments

  1. D

    A win is a win!! Go Cowboys!!

    Praying for your family and Whitney. We love you all

  2. Mel

    Q: What’s the difference between someone who doesn’t like the Cowboys and a baby?

    A: Eventually the baby stops whining.

    Luv ya Bro’

  3. Allan

    Ouch! Very nice.

    Let me say this: I could watch Marion Barber run all day long. I think every coach and every player at every single level of football would kill to have a running back like Barber on their teams. He only has one speed. He runs like his very life depends on that one more yard. He never goes out of bounds. And he tries to take at least one defender out on every carry. I’ve seen occassional defensive stiff-arms from running backs. I’ve never seen a constant offensive stiff arm. It’s a weapon with Barber. And it’s exciting to watch. It’s easy to see how his carries and his presence ignite the team and the fans. Good stuff.

    What happens against those good QBs and decent defenses coming up in November?

  4. Cynthia

    Thanks for the update on Whitney. Not the least of Whitney’s blessings is a father who helps her see her life as a part of God’s plan for all of creation. She remains in my prayers.

    Grace and peace and comfort,
    Cynthia

  5. David

    Thanks for reminding us of our purpose.
    As we try to understand God’s working in our lives, we often ask Jesus the same question that Peter asked Christ in John 13:36: “Where are you going” or in Latin: “Quo vadis”.
    There’s a wonderful story in the apocryphal Acts of Peter that describes Christ asking Peter this same question during a period of great trial. “Peter, where are YOU going?” The historicity of the story is debatable: the impact of the story is clear. Along our journey, do our side trips and distractions cause us to deviate from The Way – and does Christ ask us “Quo vadis”.

  6. Allan

    There’s a wonderful story about Akibah, a Jewish rabbi who lived in Capernaum one generation after Jesus. He took a wrong turn one night on his way home from Galilee and stumbled upon a Roman fortress. The sentry called out to him, “Who are you and where are you going?” Akibah called back, “How much do you get paid to ask people those questions?” The sentry answered, “Three drachma a week.” And Akibah said, “I’ll pay you double if you’ll stand outside my house and ask me those same two questions every morning!”

    Who are you? Where are you going?

    If we’re not trying to be like the Christ, why do we call ourselves Christians?

    I think, like Akibah, we could all use a daily reminder.

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