Iron Rose Sister Ministries

“I delight to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

The words flow beautifully from my lips, but my mind hesitates in question, analyzing the Psalm from end to beginning:

Your law is within my heart.

I open my heart and take a look. I find a lot of things: fond feelings for people, places, and memories. And yes, I do find God’s word, a deep love and respect for what has been written as an expression of His desire for us. I find knowledge of His laws: ways I need to behave in order to be more like Him, kindness, patience, forgiveness. I have read His Word and my mind and heart rest on His commandments, fully aware of their presence and application to my life.

Oh my God

But do I really realize just who it is whose laws are in my heart? These are not the laws of a country that demands you follow or face the consequences. These are not laws of a parent who deserves respect for the time and love they have poured into us throughout the years. These are the laws of the Creator of the Universe who has entrusted a small part of eternity into our hands. He doesn’t ask much, but He deserves everything. Nothing we have or do, is thanks to us. It is all thanks to Him.

I delight to do your will

This is the part that makes me stop and take an honest look inside the motivation behind my actions. Yes, there are some parts of God’s will that are delightful. Being part of His body, sharing encouragement with fellow believers around the world, striving to be Christ-like alongside great friends and sister... this is a true delight! But what about those times when obedience is not so fun? Do I still delight?

Do I delight when I have to be kind to someone who has been rude to me? Do I delight when I am called to serve someone who hurt me deeply? Do I delight when obeying a commandment might even bring me physical harm?

James 1:2-3 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
Joy in trials? Yes. If they are trials of obedience, there will be joy when we persevere. Not fleeting circumstantial happiness, but deep long-lasting joy that comes from knowing we have received mercy and grace from He who has conquered pain, sorrow, sin, and death.

I long to claim this Psalm as my heart-song. I long to find pure joy in doing His will, no matter what that will may be.

I want the following phrases to be the chorus echoed in my actions:

When obeying God seems illogical and arduous...
“Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Thank you for your example, Peter... Luke 5:5)

When obeying God may bring accusation and judgement from the world around me...
“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Thank you for your example, Mary... Luke 1:38)

When obeying God means facing anguish, pain and fear...
“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Thank you for Your example, Jesus... Luke 22:42)

Then I can truly say I delight to do Your will, and I find JOY in OBEDIENCE.

Kim, please introduce yourself and tell us about your family.
My full name is Kimberly Faith Solis (previously Kershaw, but now married to Raul Solis). I consider myself from Portland, Oregon, though I have only lived there for 8 of my 48 years. I was not raised in the church, but came to Christ and was baptized the summer after my senior year of high school thanks to my best friend, who invited me to church.

Two years later I went through the Adventures in Missions program in Lubbock, Texas, and went to Toluca, Mexico, to work with the missionaries there for two years. Well, at least I thought it would be for two years, but it was there that I met my husband Raul! Three children and 25 years later, we have temporarily moved back to Oregon to take care of my mom and work on getting my husband’s US citizenship.

Our three kids are: Diego (age 23), Isaac (21) and Angie (19). Raul and I work for the Instituto Latinoamericano de Estudios Bíblicos (ILEB) in Toluca. We both write and teach courses and I manage the online learning platform for the Institute.

What does obedience mean to you?
Wow! This is a really huge question. I am learning that obedience is EVERYTHING. We often think that the goal in life is to be happy... we want to live “happily ever after.” But I have learned that our goal should be to simply be obedient, and let God work out the details of our joy (which is so much deeper, and not dependent on circumstantial happiness.)

I think obedience is doing what we know God wants us to do, forgive, love, accept, serve, even when we don’t understand why, don’t agree, or don’t even want to. It’s doing these things even when we think God is being unfair or too demanding. It’s trusting in His will and reason, and not in our own.

What has obedience looked like in your life?
I really have struggled with what to write and what to share. My road with obedience has been an interesting one, especially when doing what God says has not been easy. There are many people who hurt us in our lives. Perhaps they disappoint our expectations, they reject us or abandon us in times of need, or they don’t treat us as we should be treated.

In one such situation, I felt called to forgive someone who hurt me deeply in many ways. I felt the Word showed me to place the relationship in God’s hand, instead of taking care of matters myself in a vengeful way. This was hard. For years I struggled to forgive. What I really wanted was to separate this person from my life, but God kept our roads crossing, time and time again. I made a “deal” with God. I challenged God saying, “The only way I’ll let you continue to let him be in my life is if he becomes a Christian.”

God is amazing. He didn’t strike me down in anger. I believe he understood not only my broken heart, but also the broken life of this person and it wasn’t too long later that my husband baptized him into Christ! Now I had to keep my part of the deal. I finally thought I had forgiven only to find, a few years later, that I still harbored resentment and anger deeply buried in the recesses of my heart.

The culmination of my obedience came when this person became very ill. When I heard the diagnosis, my first reaction betrayed the truth I had tried to hide. “Finally! He’ll be gone,” I thought, and instantly felt guilty. I had obeyed faithfully throughout the years and allowed this person to continue to be a presence in my life, and yet I had not been able to do so completely with a forgiving heart. It was then that God began to challenge my willingness to truly obey, especially when it was extremely difficult to do so.

As his illness progressed, I went to visit this person and was presented with a difficult situation. The person who was taking care of him needed to step out and I was the only one there to help out while she was gone. God was asking me to serve him, to serve the one who hurt me, to obey His command to love... even our enemies.

To be honest, I didn’t want to do it. I even yelled at God in my heart, “You’re asking too much with this one! I don’t want to serve him.” But I knew I couldn’t say no, not to God. I bit my lip, held my breath and served... and something really amazing happened.

A couple of days later I was preparing to head home, he (who never expresses his emotions, who rarely really spoke about anything personal, and who had never said anything about what happened between us) looked me in the eye and said, “You really didn’t have to come.” I knew that behind those words was an apology for all the pain he had caused me, a thank you for never shutting him out of my life, an acknowledgement that, of all the people in the world, I was the last one who should be serving him in his time of weakness.

I left and got on a plane home, crying the entire trip. A tremendous weight was suddenly lifted off my heart. I no longer asked for his death, but asked God to spare him or to at least give him peace in his last months. I also sent word and asked someone to relay a message to him in case I didn’t get to see him again. I asked them to tell him that I forgave him, completely and sincerely. The message was given, and I was told he just wept like a baby. I did get to see him before he passed, but we did not have the chance to exchange words; he was not conscious enough to carry on a conversation. God even granted me my last prayer that I had said that day flying home, the tears washing all my anger away... I got to sit with him in his last moments, singing hymns and asking God to take him into His presence with mercy and love.

Several years have passed. I understand now that forgiveness is a road, sometime a very long one, but one that can only be traveled in obedience. I search my heart for any lingering anger or pain and only find sorrow—for the life that gave him such emptiness and desperateness for control, and for the impact that had on me and my family... and I also find a lot of peace.

Peace that only comes from God. Peace that surpasses all understanding.
And peace that only comes through obedience.
If I had not obeyed...
Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.
Forgive one another, as I have forgiven you.
Love your enemies. Serve one another.
Not my will, but yours be done.
I would not have found peace and healing for my soul. And for his.

Is there a Bible verse that encourages you about obedience? Or a Bible character you admire for his/her obedience?
Several. I think the main one is Hebrews 12:1-2:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

I admire many Bible characters for their obedience... perhaps my favorite is Peter who, tired from fishing all night with no luck and then cleaning his empty nets, is told to row out to deep waters and cast once again. He must have thought Jesus was crazy. He must have thought it was a waste of time. He could have simply refused. But he didn’t. He trusted. He obeyed. (But at Your word I will let down the nets.) And, he reaped a great reward.

What most helps you be obedient?
Remembering who it is that is asking me. God is not just some human authority. God is He who knows all, sees all, and who loves me with His entire being. I owe Him everything. I cannot deny His will.

What most hinders you from being obedient?
Me. I hinder me. I am often too busy and distracted to hear His subtle voice and therefore I miss opportunities to obey. I have made a promise that when I feel nudged by His Holy Spirit, I will obey what I am being nudged to do, but I also have to keep my mind in tune to hearing those nudgings. That is hard to do if I am not communing with the Spirit daily in His Word and in prayer.

What blessings have you received through obedience?
So many! But, like I mentioned previously, the biggest has been the gift of true forgiveness and reconciliation before it was too late.

Written by Monica Dye, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Siloam Springs, AR.

Obedience is a word we often don’t like to hear. We are taught that we obey rules starting at a very young age. We learn that if we do not obey there are consequences. And usually those consequences are negative. So, we learn to obey the rules to avoid negative things happening to us such as spankings, lectures, speeding tickets, etc.

But what does God teach us about obedience? Proverbs 10:17 ESV states, “Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray." So, God is telling us that obedience leads to life. And if we reject correction (reproof), we lead others astray. But what does He mean by “lead us to life”? Does it mean if we don’t obey rules then we won’t live? Does it mean we will have a bad life? Yes! At least in a way. Think back to those consequences you had for disobedience when you were little. When were you living your best life? When you were in trouble, or when you were obeying? I dare say most of us were happier when we were obeying the rules. At least we knew we would not be harmed. We felt safer.

Guess what, God still wants us to obey even now that we are grown. But it’s no longer just to avoid negative consequences. God wants us to obey to give us joy! Read Psalm 40:8 ESV. “I delight to do your will, O God; your law is within my heart.” God’s law is in our hearts! We obey because we love God. We obey because it gives us joy to serve God. We delight to obey God!

But what about right now? The law makers of the country are telling us to stay inside. They are telling us to not even go to worship with our church families. Should we obey them? How can this be pleasing to God? How can this bring us joy? Well, sometimes obedience is not fun at the time. It’s not what we want to do at the moment. Sometimes obedience is painful, but necessary. Let’s look at Hebrews chapter 12 ESV. Verse two says Jesus is “the founder and protector of our faith and for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross." Did you read that? He endured the cross for the joy of promised heaven. He endured the cross so we could learn to obey when we don’t want to. Jesus did not enjoy the cross. But He knew obedience was necessary to make the sacrifice for our sins. He knew obedience was necessary to obtain future joy for all of us.

God wants us to obey! He knows it’s not always easy or fun. But He also knows that obedience now will bring us great joy in the end. So be joyful in your obedience to God.

Stay safe, Sisters! “Rejoice in the Lord always; I will say it again, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

What is your reaction to Bible verses about obedience?

As a child, when I heard “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Eph. 6:1), I was quick to point out verse 4, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children...” What I did not yet realize was the value of the second part of verse 4, “instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” And when I did my part in obedience, I facilitated the training and instruction God was providing through my parents.

We each have our part in obedience. If the elbow doesn’t do her part, the hand cannot be there to do hers. So it is with each of the members of the body... No one has the same gifts and talents as another, but when we are obedient to do our part, the church functions as a complete unit.

However, obedience according to our gifts is tricky. Our talents or a lack of talent in a certain area cannot be an excuse to not do what God has commanded each of us to do. Our obedience may look different, but God knows and tests the heart.

One of the most classic examples of this particular obedience excuse (based on talents) is related to the Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:18-20.
¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

“Go...” But God did not call me to be a missionary.
“And make disciples of all nations...” Short-term missions is not something I can do either.
“Baptizing them...” I don’t know enough Bible to study with someone about how to become a Christian.
“Teaching them to observe all I have commanded you...” But I don’t obey it all myself, so how can I teach someone else to observe His commands?

Let’s put some of these things in a different light:
Go and fix dinner, serving healthy, tasty food, and inviting others to share in the meal together.
“Go...” At the very least, you must get off your bum.
“And fix dinner...” Does it have to be from scratch?
“Serving healthy, tasty food...” I never learned how to cook, so healthy and tasty are a challenge for me.
“Inviting others to share in the meal together...” Yeah, if I don’t want to eat the food I cook, why would I want to invite someone else to eat it?!

How would you answer someone who presents these excuses for fixing dinner or for making disciples?

GO does not imply a destination, but rather an action.
MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS. 1 Corinthians 3 affirms that God is the one who brings the growth after we plant seed and water it. And while it is important to travel and spread the gospel to all nations, many of those nations are represented in our neighborhoods, classrooms, grocery stores, and everyday interactions.
BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. Are you living a baptized life: Dead to self and alive with Christ; repentant from sin and walking in the light? Are you seeking opportunities to share the good news and inviting others into the resurrected life through baptism? “Lead me to some soul today” is a favorite prayer song to grow in obedience in this area.
AND TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THAT I HAVE COMMANDED. Whether modeling the cooking and preparation of a recipe or modeling the Christian walk, teaching is a life-long endeavor. Teaching is about relationship and teaching takes time, vulnerability, and investment in the person.

I am grateful for those who modeled such obedience. There is a part of my spirit that is not at peace if I am not studying the Bible with a non-Christian. I take no credit for this disquiet. Being mentored by evangelists and individuals who took the Great Commission seriously (Matt. 28:18-20), an expectation was created for obedience to that commandment.

They were obedient to do their part, enabling me to do my part. And when I am obedient to do my part, I facilitate the opportunity for others to be obedient, as well. What other examples come to mind about our part in obedience helping others be obedient?

Psalm 119, likely written by David, highlights the importance of a relationship with the Lawgiver, not just an adherence to His commands. With eloquent verse in acrostic form, the psalmist uses the letters of the Hebrew alphabet to describe the relationship that he has with the Lawgiver through His commandments, laws, ordinances, precepts, statutes, testimonies, ways, and words.

You may not know what all of the words in that list mean, but they each carry a different connotation. In a lawless land, the law brings order and peace. Without precepts and statutes, guidance is lacking. Commandments and ordinances may feel burdensome, yet they provide safety. Testimonies, ways, and words may sound gentler and more inviting—relational words that invite us into a greater story.

Truly, all facets of the law are for our good (Ps. 119:68). When the Lawgiver asks us to obey, it is for our guidance, strength, life, and comfort. Using just the first 80 verses of the Psalm, notice the language used to narrate the ebb and flow of relationship with God’s law. At times, the psalmist makes a definitive statement (Ps. 119:9, 30) and at other times, he seems to cry out for a reminder of his commitment (Ps. 119:5, 29, 66) or offer an appeal from a faithful servant (Ps. 119:10, 76).

Observe the phrases used to talk about the psalmist’s relationship with the law:
Walk in the path of it, observe it, keep it, guard it, store it in my heart, declare it, meditate on it, delight in it, fix my eyes on it, see it clearly, understand it, cling to it, run in it, long for it, trust it, seek it, lift up my hands to it, sing it, turn my feet to it, learn it, believe in it, treasure it, savor it, know it, hope in it...

Using this list of verbs in italics, which phrase serves as an invitation to you? Which is the biggest challenge?

These are not steppingstones along a straight-line path where one leads to another, nor is this an exhaustive list. However, these words can illustrate where we find ourselves in relationship with the law and with the Lawgiver. Now, read the same list of phrases in the context of the Lawgiver, instead of just the law.

Walk in the path of Him, observe Him, keep Him, guard Him, store it in my heart, declare Him, meditate on Him, delight in Him, fix my eyes on Him, see it clearly, understand Him, cling to Him, run in Him, long for Him, trust Him, seek Him, lift up my hands to Him, sing Him, turn my feet to Him, learn Him, believe in Him, treasure Him, savor Him, know Him, hope in Him...

Do you see the correlation between the law and the Lawgiver?

God’s law is a delight, not a burden; a relationship, not a set of rules! And these expressions of relationship with the law and the Lawgiver are all a part of our obedience.

Obedience is more than a burden we must bear. We can delight in obeying His law because it implies relationship with the Lawgiver, especially since the Lawgiver became flesh and became the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (John 1:14; Matt. 5:17)! Are you delighting with me?

I invite you to discuss Psalm 119, sharing these questions and answers with an Iron Rose Sister. You can take turns reading sections of Psalm 119 and highlight the words you see to describe God’s law and how the psalmist interacts with it. Spend some time in prayer together over your mutual desire to delight in His word and His ways—to obey Him and invite others into a relationship with Him.

Prayer in and of itself is an act of obedience and submission. We are commanded to pray continually (1 Thes. 5:16). Jesus taught us how to pray (Matt. 6:5-15; John 17). His examples of public and private prayer, personal prayers and prayers on behalf of others, heartfelt prayers as a cry for relief, and simple prayers of thanks demonstrate that there is no one way to “pray continually.” It is better described as a life of prayer or a constant communication with God.

This month, we are grateful for those who have joined us in prayer on behalf of Iron Rose Sister Ministries. As you pray for us, I ask that you also pray for me personally and the ministry as a whole to be obedient to God’s calling and vision for us.

Late last year, I was given the word “obedience” by the Spirit. I believe it was in preparation for the current project of the book, Single and Lovin’ It, Mostly. As I have continued to work obediently and prepare diligently for this task, the temptation to quit has been strong.

Trust and obey. For there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

The chorus of that hymn echoes in my mind as one part of me wants to shy away into a shell of self-protection. Another part of me wants to shout from the mountaintops of all God has done in the lives of many awesome single women.

Yet as I am tasked with imparting God’s wisdom and sharing it from the perspective of single women, I am humbled and recognize that I can, in no way, speak for others and tell their stories. I cannot speak on behalf of all single women to give practical advice for how to address some of the challenges faced by single and single-again women in our church.

God has not asked me to speak on His behalf nor to speak for all single women. He has asked me to be obedient and to be His instrument.

I am grateful to not only be able to speak from my own experience, but also from the experiences of others with whom I have walked. I am even more grateful that God sits at the head of the table where we all sit to have this conversation.

As we draw our focused month of prayer to a close, and as we pray together for the project of the current book, I encourage you to pull up a seat at the table. Join in the conversation and pray with all of us that God will help all of us to be obedient.

Thanks for being obedient prayer warriors with us!

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

Written by Michelle J. Goff, founder and director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Searcy, Arkansas

Saul was anointed as the first king of Israel by the prophet Samuel.

9 As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day. 10 When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.(1 Sam. 10:9-10)

However, when Saul returned home, he did not reveal what God had done through him, nor that Samuel had anointed him king. We don’t know if he was Incredulous of what had happened through him by the Spirit of God. We don’t know if he was scared of what would be expected of him during his reign. We truly don’t know why he hid himself among the supplies when Samuel called Israel to come forward by tribes, clans, then families.

23 They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others. 24 Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the man the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”
Then the people shouted, “Long live the king!”(1 Sam. 10:23-24)

Since the Israelites had rejected God as King, Saul often bore the tremendous responsibility of representing the LORD to the people. The Spirit of God would come powerfully on him to act and speak as God would’ve. And during the initial years of his reign, Saul sought God’s counsel through the prophet Samuel in order to fulfill that calling and responsibility. More often than not, Saul strove to give glory to God for rescuing His people from their enemies. Initially, Saul recognized that He was merely God’s servant, put in place to serve God’s people and point them back to Him.

However, in 1 Samuel 13, we learn that Saul took matters into his own hands and neglected to obey what the Lord had commanded him. Samuel rebuked Saul and instead of repenting, Saul defended his decision, expressing the worry that had consumed him instead of his trust in God’s instruction.

From that point on, we see God’s Spirit departing from Saul’s life and his leadership. Instead, a spirit tormented him and ultimately destroyed him, ripping the kingdom from his hands and those of his descendants.

The shepherd boy David came before Saul’s throne room to play the harp, temporarily soothing him with the harmonious melodies. However, Saul’s relief was short-lived, especially once he learned that God had anointed and blessed David as successor to the throne, not his own son, Jonathan.

The vast contrasts between Saul and David are profound illustrations of how it is possible to keep or lose a crown.

• Both men were anointed with the Spirit of God. One was a head taller than the rest. The other was the youngest and smallest of his family.
• Both men wore a crown. One stayed seated on the throne of his own heart. The other made the LORD his King.
• Both men were chosen to lead God’s chosen people Israel after rejecting the LORD as their King. One heard God’s instructions and ran with them. The other constantly sought God’s will at every step, before moving forward.
• Both men sinned. One justified his actions. The other repented.
• Only one got to keep his crown…

Years after the prophet Samuel confronted King Saul, the prophet Nathan confronted King David for his horrendous sins of adultery and murder. David was cut to the heart and repented (2 Sam. 12). Having witnessed Saul’s tormented spirit, we can hear the anguish of David’s repentant cry that God not take His Holy Spirit from him.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.(Ps. 51:10-12)

Kings Saul and David, like us, face daily trials and decisions. They are a testing of our faith, which we can consider pure joy (James 1:3). For “blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).

None of us deserves the crown of life, but the loving, perfect sacrifice of God’s own Son allows us to be heirs of His eternal Kingdom.

May the contrast between Saul’s and David’s crowns serve as a reminder of how a rejection of God’s ultimate Lordship can give birth to sin, which, when full-grown, gives birth to death (James 1:14-15).

Today, and each day, we can choose the crown of life and with it, surrender to God’s Lordship, trusting His Spirit to guide our steps.

#IronRoseSister #HIStories #crown #obedience #repentance #kingsofIsrael #MichelleJGoff #blog

Many people have shared why they are staying home or taking precautions for the Coronavirus. There may be an immune-compromised individual or an elderly family member that they know are at higher risk if they contracted the virus. “I’m staying home for ____,” and messages like that have filled my news feed and reminded everyone that the good of others is a higher priority than our own selfish ambitions.

Selfish ambitions can be hard to let go of. Preschoolers are taught, “You get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit.” Not everyone can have their own way. A few adults might need that reminder...

Sacrifice for the good of others to the ultimate degree was modeled by Christ (Phil. 2:3-11).

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The Head bowed low.
The One who was God in His very nature made Himself nothing.
The CEO of the company decided to clean the toilets at every employee’s house.
The superintendent of schools decided to go back to kindergarten.
The Head of the body decided it was time to play the part of the toenail on the little toe.

The Head bowed low and humbled Himself for the good of others.
His sacrifice made it possible for us to be one with Him as part of the body.
He did His part so that we might have our part in Him.
And now we have the opportunity to humble ourselves as the diverse parts of the body for the good of the whole and to the glory of the Head.
What is your part today?

P.S. His example of obedience and submission will be discussed at greater length in next month’s posts.