Rethink

I meant to post this 4 days ago but the internet at the base went down... hard... so I didnt get anything up till today. Thank you all for your support.

ok... so with all this work we've done and are planning to do here at the base it got me thinking... (You weed-wack for 4 hours in a day, you'll start thinking too.) So, I was thinking, "Why are we doing this?" "We could have stayed home and done yard work.". I was feeling like we were doing the grunt work, the stuff the un-spiritual people do. But while I was working I realized that I had the wrong mindset. Obviously my first clue was the example of Jesus.

Joh 13:3-5 Jesus knew that the Father had given him complete power; he knew that he had come from God and was going to God. So he rose from the table, took off his outer garment, and tied a towel around his waist. Then he poured some water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples' feet and dry them with the towel around his waist.

This Is really crazy, but Jesus realizes that he has complete power over all the world, that he had direct access to God and that he was in fact God, somehow this inspires him to wash his disciples feet. Why? It doesn't make any sense. But later he explains it.

Joh 13:14-17 I, your Lord and Teacher, have just washed your feet. You, then, should wash one another's feet. I have set an example for you, so that you will do just what I have done for you. I am telling you the truth: no slaves are greater than their master, and no messengers are greater than the one who sent them. Now that you know this truth, how happy you will be if you put it into practice!

He did it so that we would see and follow his example of ultimate humility. He was showing us that our mindset, our ideas of what is important in this world, is human, driven not by God's truth but by the systems and opinions of men. Paul Tells us to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought but Jesus' example is even more extreme than that. He knew, and yet he serves. He knew some thing else too...

John 13:10-11 Jesus said, "Those who have taken a bath are completely clean and do not have to wash themselves, except for their feet. All of you are clean---all except one."

(Jesus already knew who was going to betray him; that is why he said, "All of you, except one, are clean.")

Jesus even served and washed the feet of the one who he knew would betray him to painful death.

How much more should we, small and weak as we are, put aside our lofty ideas of ourselves and serve others. To put off our selfishness and pride and...

Phi 2:5-8 Have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Although he was in the form of God and equal with God, he did not take advantage of this equality. Instead, he emptied himself by taking on the form of a servant, by becoming like other humans, by having a human appearance. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, death on a cross.

It goes on to say:

Phi 2:9 This is why God has given him an exceptional honor- the name honored above all other names-
Phi 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel
Phi 2:11 and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

So this is my new resolve,(God give me the grace...) to serve even the servant. To Empty myself of my American pride. To let go of my lofty ideas of what I could accomplish. I will serve and then when I have given up my life for others may God lift Jesus up. So here we are, serving this base and serving God. Father glorify Jesus Christ.
Amen