Check Your Motives: Servanthood Is Not . . .

Living Free Every Day®
A ministry of LivingFree.org

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Today's Scripture

"People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart." (Proverbs 21:2 NLT)

Thoughts for Today

Wrong motives for serving others can come from an unhealthy view of ourselves. We may become enmeshed with a spouse, family member, or friend to the point we believe they will not survive without us. We try to be their savior.

Although we may not be aware we are serving others to make ourselves feel better about ourselves, this type of thinking and behavior is common and can develop into a cycle of codependency and enabling.

Consider this …

A major aspect of codependency is the desire to change another person in a way that only God can. We come to believe we will eventually succeed in changing a friend or loved one's behaviors and choices that keep getting them into undesirable circumstances. Enabling is rescuing people repeatedly instead of allowing them to experience the consequences of their behavior—consequences that could encourage them to change. Codependency and enabling can become addictive in the sense they are hard to stop. Feelings of guilt can develop from within, and a sense of intimidation by the person we are trying to help may develop.

Do you see yourself in any of these pictures? If so, you may find yourself thinking something like this:

I am compelled to be helpful to others in a way that makes me feel good. I often prefer to please someone rather than consider if what they want is reasonable or wise.

As today's scripture teaches, you may think you are doing the right thing . . . but God sees your heart. He wants only the best for you and for the person you are trying to help. Are you ready to serve his way? Tomorrow we will look at what true servanthood is.

Prayer

Lord, I have been trying so long to help my loved one. Now I'm wondering what my true motives are. I know you see my heart. Help me overcome any unhealthy attitudes and behavior. Help me become the kind of servant you want me to be. In Jesus' name . . .

These thoughts were drawn from . . .

Where is the Image of God in You? by Brad Rymer. The purpose of this study is for us to see how some of the different character traits we have can be used in constructive rather than destructive ways in our lives and relationships so that we are operating more and more in the image of God according to the way He created us. Also, this study can help us better understand others as we build godly relationships. Note: This curriculum was written especially for small groups, and we encourage people to use it that way. However, it can also be used effectively as a personal study for individuals or couples.

We hope these devotions are a blessing to you and to others in your life. We are happy to provide them for you at no cost, but thought you might want to consider a donation to help our ministry with the expense involved. You can safely donate through our website . Thank you!

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