What Direction and Form Does Your Life Have?

What Direction and Form Does Your Life Have?

We read about Jesus that He took the form of a servant. Phil. 2:7. Jesus Himself says, “He who wants to be the greatest shall be the servant of all.” Those who follow Jesus increasingly take the form of a servant, but the form of a ruler appears in those who do not follow Him. By this we know who follows Jesus and who does not follow Him.

God so loved the world that He gave His Son, and Jesus so loved us that He gave His life. It was necessary to make a sacrifice if the effects of the Fall were to be destroyed. The spirit of sacrifice is the reformation of all things. Sacrifice is the key to a joyful and fruitful life. A demanding spirit is the destruction of all things. It devastates our life.

Many people suffer from depression. It is as if they were always surrounded by dark clouds. Everything is so sad and dark. They long to be free, but they cannot break loose. What is the solution? The solution is in the spirit of sacrifice—it chases away the clouds. The fact is that these people think only of themselves, and they demand that the others also think of them. They feel misunderstood and overlooked. In all this worrying about their own person, the spiritual hosts of wickedness have descended like a cloud over their soul-life and dimmed their hope, so that their life has become a desert. They are so bound by this demanding spirit that they are completely powerless. The spirit of sacrifice is the only thing that can scatter these clouds and give new light.

The fast that pleases God is that we share our bread with the hungry, clothe the naked, etc. Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and the glory of the Lord shall surround you. When you will give to the hungry the things your own soul desires, then your light shall dawn in the darkness, and your darkness shall be as the noonday. Isa. 58:7-12. Here we can see that when we begin to think of the others, then the light will dawn; then healing will come.

All comfort is in vain as long as a person thinks only of himself. The sun is darkened; he is and remains without hope. He needs to experience a change of attitude. His thoughts must go in the opposite direction. He needs to come into a different state of mind. Instead of making demands, he needs to have a sacrificial attitude of mind, so that his thoughts can revolve around the others’ well-being instead of his own. Then God will guide him and satisfy his soul in drought; He will make him like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

Abraham received the promise that God would richly bless him and multiply him. Heb. 6:14. If God had richly blessed him without giving him offspring, he would have remained poor. Gen. 15:1-5. However, God gave him offspring who could inherit the blessing. God wants to do the same thing with us, but many people only think about being blessed. This is why they seek God and go to meetings. The central thought in their life is to be blessed and be served. They are and remain poor—in spite of everything. But Jesus took the form of a servant. The central thought in His life was to give. This is why He spent the whole night in prayer—to receive something from God to give to the people. His life was a sacrifice; therefore He became the author of our salvation, and He will say, “Here am I, and the children whom God has given Me.” Heb. 2:13. Many people measure themselves according to all the blessings God has given them; but the true measure of a person is not how much he has received, but how much he has given. Therefore, when we seek God, may it be to receive something to give. This is the longing that causes us to multiply, and open the doors into God’s treasure chambers, so that we will be abundantly blessed.

The purpose of all the help and the blessings we receive is to be equipped for the work of ministry for the edification of the body of Christ. Eph. 4:12. This is the direction of our development and growth. Our works and words will burn up if they do not have this direction. Christ, as the chief cornerstone and foundation, had the form of a servant. If the building is to endure the fire, it must be built with this central thought and this form.