Which of the following are similar to the ways you've served Christ in your family? [check all that apply]
• Taught your kids to see God's glory in nature
• Washed the dishes without being asked
• Played a board game with your kids
• Encouraged your wife to finish her master's degree
• Attended a child's open house at school
• Worked fewer hours to be with your family
• Set an example of a godly prayer life for your children
• Held a crying child
• Swung on the tire swing with your daughter
• Told your wife why you're still in love with her
• Told your son he's got what it takes
• Coached soccer
• Let you child correct you now and then
• Fixed the vacuum cleaner
• Taught your sons to ride a bike
• Listened patiently to a complaint of your wife
• Taped your child's artwork to your office wall
• Admitted to your kids that you were wrong
• Told your children how Christ entered your life
• Cleaned up vomit
• Taught your children to love books
• Been romantic without expecting sex
• Told your daughter she's smart/beautiful
• Set standards for your kids and stuck to them
• Dealt graciously with a busybody neighbor
• Peeled carrots
• Watched movies together
Upstart Brother? Theme of the Week: Green-Eyed Monster Wednesday, July 14, 2004
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Men of IntegrityJuly/August 2004Upstart Brother?Theme of the Week: Green-Eyed MonsterWednesday, July 1474
Key Bible Verse: Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another (Galatians 5:26). Bonus Reading:Acts 11:25—26Acts; 13:1—3Acts ; 15:36—40
A person has to work through some human motives issues to joyfully submit to someone with great grace on his life.
Take Barnabas's relationship to Paul. When the two started in ministry together, Barnabas was the leader, the big brother; Paul was the assistant, the little brother. But there was greater grace on Paul's life than on Barnabas's, and it soon became evident as they traveled in ministry. Before long, Paul had stepped up to the place of leadership and Barnabas had become the assistant. Now, that's a tough transition to weather!
Everything shook down when a difference of opinion arose between them. Barna-bas wanted to take John Mark on the next ministry trip, but Paul refused. If Barnabas had started out under Paul, it would have been different; but he started out over Paul.
Because of how their relationship had evolved, Barna-bas was unable to acquiesce to Paul's leadership. His inability to receive Paul's leadership meant that they would part ways and become two missionary parties. As a result, however, we never again hear in the New Testament about Barnabas's ministry, its nature or its effectiveness.
—Bob Sorge in EnvyAdapted from Envy: The Enemy Within (Regal, 2003) by permission.
My Response: Can I genuinely rejoice for someone to whom God assigns a greater ministry sphere?
Thought to Apply: The man who keeps busy helping the man below him won't have time to envy the man above him.
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