by Chad Lewis on February 11, 2010
I came across the following in a devotional I am reading. It is an excerpt from Hannah Whitall Smith’s The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life.
Years ago I came across this sentence in an old book: “Never indulge, at the close of an action, in any self-reflective acts of any kind, whether of self-congratulation or self-despair. Forget the things that are behind, the moment they are past, leaving them with God.” This has been of unspeakable value to me. When the temptation comes, as it mostly does to every worker after the performance of any service, to indulge in these reflections, either of one sort or the other, I turn from them at once and positively refuse to think about my work at all, leaving it with the Lord to overrule the mistakes, and to bless it as he chooses. I believe there would be far fewer “blue Mondays” for ministers of the Gospel than there are now if they would adopt this plan; and I am sure all workers would find their work far less wearing.
by Chad Lewis on December 14, 2006
As Christmas knocks on our door this year, let us continually keep before us the reason for this holiday. It is not for getting “stuff” though it’s theme is the gift of Christ and how He came to reconcile sinners to His Father. It is not about family though it is awesome to be with loved ones and even dwell on the fact that the family of God breaks through any socio-economic or cultural barriers. Christmas is about Christ.
One of the first things I learned in Seminary was so simple that it amazed me that I had not picked up on it earlier. When reading the Bible, the main character is always God. In the story of Abraham, the main character is God and how He will bring about His promises. With Moses, the main character is God and how He will set His people free and bring them into the land of promise. This list could go on and on. The story of the judges is how gracious God is and how He will bring his ways about even through a rebellious and obstinate people.
So we come back to Christmas. The main character is God again. In His infinite wisdom and with a plan that was drawn up before the earth was created, the Father decided to send His Son to earth to redeem a people of His own choosing. This Christ is spoken of so beautifully in Philippians 2. Paul admonishes us to be like Jesus as He is the ultimate and perfect picture of humility.
Though in perfect union in the Trinity for all eternity past, Christ does not keep hold of what is rightfully His. He lays down His rights and “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). This was the very plan of God!
As we meditate on these things, let’s not forget about the depths of this story. Let’s get beyond singing carols and kneel before our Maker who made our eternal salvation possible. And after a few thousand years of prophecy and things lining up perfectly by the administration of God, Jesus was born when the fulness of time had come. And now we are to proclaim, “Hallelujah, What A SAVIOR!!!!”
by Chad Lewis on May 17, 2006
On many occasions I need to be reminded. This morning was such a time. I grabbed an old journal and went to a park. While sipping on some coffee I read about the following instance that occured two years ago.
I was sitting at a lunch table with a counselor named Melissa. I had come back to Lake Forest Ranch to be the worship leader for the 2004 summer. In 2003, I had come with a friend and played some music during his week of speaking. Melissa had been a counselor the summer before as well. She shared with me that one memory stuck out with her from the summer before. Their was a kid who was being difficult all day long. He was a bit different and because I realized the stresses on the counselors and the massiveness of their responsibilities, I made this kid my friend for the week. I hung out with him when everyone else wanted him to get away.
It was funny that as she reflected on this experience with me, I barely remembered the story, but it did sound vaguely familiar. It was during that conversation that God reminded me of an amazing truth.
God doesn’t forget… Though our sins are in the category of “forgotten” if we are His children, He knows all things. It is amazing to think that we will never have to pay the penalty for our rebellion and treason against God. It is wiped away. To continue this amazing thought, God never forgets the smallest act of kindess that we show.
During my times of darkness, I wallow in the lie that I am of no use to this world and a somewhat fatalistic attitude begins to simmer. But even so, I must be reminded that God remembers me hanging out with that kid that weekend and sharing the love of Christ with him. God remembers the sacrifices I have made in the attempts to follow hard after Him.
It is amazing to think that we will be rewarded for these things in the life to come because it is God who empowers us to do them as well. But remember to never grow weary in doing good for God is watching and His eyes are the only ones that matter.
by Chad Lewis on November 10, 2005
The following words hung in my closet all last year as a reminder of calling:
“Serve.
Cease selfishness in…
Phone calls
Time
Emails
Comfort
Conversation
Give your life away and in doing so, gain true life.
You once lived with the Homeless. Remember the mop and continue to seek service daily.”
The mop reference refers to some time I spent helping a coffeehouse ministry get started in Atlanta a few years back. I lived in a ministry house with some other volunteers. Our goal was to seek community and to help some homeless guys get back on their feet. I got a lifetime of great stories from those 14 months of life.
With the ministry, I had volunteered to do “whatever” for a year. And “whatever” is what I did. I remember one night after everyone had gone home. Tons of hurting teens who had every type of addiction had come to an open mic night where we sought to build relationships so that we could share the Gospel.
The floors were sticky and trash was everywhere. All had gone home and I was pushing the mop. I can remember thoughts running into my head like, “Where are the other leaders?” “Why am I alone?” The best one was “I have a degree in Mathematical Sciences and here I am mopping a floor.”
And that’s when it hit me. The example of our serving Savior. My disgruntled attitude turned into songs of praise and tears of joy.
Oh that God would capture our hearts so that we might see the gift of serving our brothers and sisters and serving a hurting world.
May God replace our disgruntled scowls with tears of joy as we mop up after those around us each day. This will truly be an enigma to a self-centered world as we love each other selflessly with the love Christ provides.
