It touched me a lot, and helped remind me of the true basics - especially precious, because as I shared with Flince today while queuing up at Subway for dinner, the next 2 weeks are gonna be real busy.
(On a sidenote: Thanks a doz Huili for noticing my tiredness and msging me to let me know that I'm in her prayers... haha... very blessed! :) [besides the fact that she also thanked me for bringing mooncakes for tomorrow's gathering... in advance! Wah. Add pressure liao. -.-''']
On the one hand, I am rather nervous when I think of the 45 minutes of preaching in front of all the people. I start to think of the many things that could possibly go wrong. "What if I am unable to connect my points? What if my mind goes blank (and it had gone blank before)? What if people find me boring and the sermon unhelpful at all? Wouldn't it be good if someone else was preaching beside me? Should I call in sick tomorrow?" These are the many reasons that would cause me to be nervous.
Then there was this time that it occured to me that all these concerns are I-me-myself focused. All these reasons are self-focused.
Gradually, these better thoughts would begin to bounce in my head. "I need to do my best to help people see the light: the believers must grow in Christ and the pre-believers need to hear a clear presentation of the gospel. It's not my word and my work after all; God only requires me to do my best and no more. I am a nobody doing God's work; a nobody should not be self-conscious and self-focused at all"
Over the years, I have matured in my understanding of my serving role. It has really helped me to put things in the right perspective about God, about others and about myself (and in that order of priority as well). I still struggle from time to time but I am doing better as time progresses.
Be it preaching, ushering, serving communion, leading worship, leading games in small groups, teaching in meetings, leading a meeting, sharing testimonies, putting up a drama; these God- and others-focused thoughts would serve us well.
To sum it up, John 3:30 says it excellently... "He must become greater; I must become less."
True servanthood, at it's deepest core, has no rights but only responsibilities.
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