Servant or friend?

When someone suddenly drop by your home, which comes to your mind – being a host first or being a friend first?

To be a host, you need to prepare your house, cleaning and getting food and drink all ready. To be a friend, you are excited to fellowship and converse, desiring to know more of your friend and strengthen that relationship.

Actually, it all depends on what kind of friends you have. If your friends are the picky and inquisitive types, then being a host is better. They come for the food, inspect your house so as to make gossip and mostly to come and ask you to do favor for them. But, by and large people visit others because they value their friendship and to find out how our friends are getting on in life. Fellowship and conservation then is more important.

This thought cross my mind as I reflect about what took place last week over the National Day holiday when my daughter invited her cell’s friend for a sleep over. Gosh! My first thought was to get the necessary food and drinks for them, what to prepare for breakfast and whether our house was clean and tidy. I guess my wife has that thought in mind too. When the friends came, I became a bit agitated when none of my family members prepare drinks for them. “What kind of host are we?” So, I need to take charge. … [Little did we know that actually the friends brought along a lot of food].

But, my wife did a better job. She talked to 2 of them in the kitchen. That cool me down a bit and so I casually participated in the conservation. Then I just excused myself into the study room and listens to sermons on Youtube.

…

Then, it all became clear on this passage about Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42

³⁸ Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” ⁴¹ But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; ⁴² but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Some preachers say that Jesus was saying to Martha that worship must come first before service. It is the “being” before the “doing”. For me, I now understand what Jesus was saying, HE values my friendship more than my service. He is not talking about worship, singing praise, praying, Bible reading or even convening a worship service when they visited Martha’s house.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

Mary has chosen to be Jesus’ friend and sit down to converse with him. Friendship involves talking and listening. There is nothing wrong with being a servant or a host. In every events and gathering, we need to meet the physical needs. Do it, but don’t that distract or burden you. I guess Jesus is telling Martha that day: “My dear Martha, enjoy the serving; enjoy even more the fellowship and conversation. I am not here as your BOSS, but as your friend.”

Agape

How to know you are filled by the Spirit

“Honk! Honk, honk!” the car on the right lane blasted away at me. He was quite a distance from my car as I signaled to change into his lane in order to make a right turn. Just a signal could agitate another driver, as if the whole road belongs to him. It was definitely an ungracious act. There is no need to vent one’s anger.

Calmly, I did not change lane. There was no unwarranted feeling in me. Maybe it was quite late into the night and I just don’t want any external situation to influence my peace. It was then that I recalled what Charles Swindoll wrote:

“Grumbling is a sure sign that the flesh in control. … Show me a grumbler, and I’ll show you a person who has distanced herself or himself from the Spirit of God. When we are filled with the Spirit, there is an overwhelming sense of thankfulness. We are not hard to please. We are happy to have whatever God provides.” – Embraced by the Spirit, page 84

I have always like Charles Swindoll’s books. His discussions center on the filling of the Holy Spirit. But not the charismatic type of signs & wonder, if you know what I mean. Typical of Charles, he talks to you as he writes. Then he anticipates your questions and answers them.

As you might have guess it if you know your Bible, the passage is on Ephesians 5:18-21

 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Base on this verse, we can know that we are filled by the Holy Spirit when our hearts are …

1. My heart is teachable
2. My heart is melodious
3. My heart is thankful (grateful)
4. My heart is humble (submissive)

As I evaluate these 4 points that Charles wrote, I began to understand why many a times, there is this soft humming (may be a song) inside me. I am not a “song” person, but more a “Word” person. I would rather memorise and recite Bible verses than sing a song. When I am at rest, I would recall a Bible verse than to sing a Christian song. But since sometime last year after an “Empowering of the Holy Spirit” seminar, the soft humming seems to come quite often. So my heart is trying to be melodious.

I have no problem being teachable and thankful. Now, the most difficult of all … be humble.

I am still working on this area.

Agape!