WHAT MAKES FOLLOWERS LOVE TO SERVE?

WHAT MAKES FOLLOWERS LOVE TO SERVE?

2 SAMUEL 23:15–16 - And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD.

It was just a casual remark. Yet the moment David’s men heard their leader mutter the words, they immediately broke through enemy lines and braved Philistine swords and spears to retrieve a cup of the precious liquid.

Such astonishing loyalty doesn’t come from a mere job description. Loyalty like this comes only through modeling. David got this kind of “second–mile” effort because he had long modeled such loyalty for his men.

And it is that loyalty that drove him to do what he did next. David honored their sacrifice by presenting it to the Lord rather than drinking it. Who wouldn’t go the extra mile for a leader like that?

John Maxwell

God's Powerful Word by Chuck Smith

God's Powerful Word

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. —1 Thessalonians 2:13

If the Bible was the invention of man, you must confess that they had to be the smartest men who ever lived. Forty-four different authors wrote over the span of 1,500 years, and yet, it is one unified story that has stood the test of time and extreme critical analysis. No other book has had such a profound influence for good in the world than the Bible.

It has been likened unto an anvil that has been hammered upon for centuries by skeptics and doubters. The hammers wore away and have been discarded, but the Anvil still stands. The Bible is unique in its prophetic aspects, as it speaks of things years—even thousands of years, in some instances—before they take place.

Paul described the Word as that "which effectually works in you that believe." It is so beautiful to see the effect of the Word on the lives of those who were nearly destroyed by sin. Once they are cleansed, redeemed, and set free, their lives become meaningful. God's Word brings change—not only to those in the church in Thessalonica 2,000 years ago, but to those in the church today.

Father, thank You for the power of Your Word and for the way You use it to change and restore lives. And Lord, how thankful we are that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. Help us that we might receive and then share Your truth. In Jesus' name, amen.

IT’S A MIND-SET

IT’S A MIND-SET

Teachability is an attitude, a mind-set that says, “No matter how much I know (or think I know), I can learn from this situation.” That kind of thinking can help you turn adversity into advantage. It can make you a winner even during the most difficult circumstances.

Sydney Harris sums up the elements of a teachable mind-set: “A winner knows how much he still has to learn, even when he is considered an expert by others. A loser wants to be considered an expert by others before he has learned enough to know how little he knows.”

Business author Jim Zabloski writes, Contrary to popular belief, I consider failure a necessity in business. If you’re not failing at least five times a day, you’re probably not doing enough. The more you do, the more you fail. The more you fail, the more you learn.

The more you learn, the better you get. The operative word here is learn. If you repeat the same mistake two or three times, you are not learning from it. You must learn from your own mistakes and from the mistakes of others before you.

The ability to learn from mistakes has value not just in business but in all aspects of life. If you live to learn, then you will really learn to live.

—Failing Forward by John Maxwell