Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, “I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’ “

My answer to the question about offering myself up as a sacrifice for another believer or (future believer) is no. I do not have the capacity or compassion to offer myself as a sacrifice. But when I am connected to the Spirit of God I have the courage and peace, that comes from God, and can then and only then sacrifice myself for another. JDV/DJR

Connected to the Spirit of God, we do not care if we are being watched by other people willing to say, “well done’.  When we are truly connected, we have Jesus living through us and that is all the reassurance or confirmation  we will ever need. Left to our own devices it seems that we will always cry out for the approval of others, and our own pleasure. JDV/DJR

It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a “doormat” under other people’s feet.

When we are truly connected we cannot differentiate between being “the hero” or being “a doormat” all we know is that we are connected and God is operating inside of us; living through us, and when we are truly connected we are all at once excited, courageous and completed. We do not know nor  care how we are perceived. We are simply Jesus doing the will of the Father. JDV/DJR

John 5:19

¹⁹Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does

God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, “I know how to be abased . . .” ( Philippians 4:12 ). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket—to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted—not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.

There is nothing above or below our capacity or dignity when we are connected. There is simply Jesus living through us. It  is an  amazing and complete way to live. JDV/DJR

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