I'm here in Memphis. I've been here for little over a week now and I'm loving it. I have the privilege to work with 45 other fantastic mature Christians here at SOS and I love them and the community that comes with working and living with them. Service Over Self is more than a name for this camp. It's a lifestyle.
Jesus Christ was a servant. He hardly ever claimed credit for himself directly. Even though he was weak, he humbled himself to the lowest of the low. He was friends with the poor, needy, and sick. He even went as far as to consider himself as one!!! (Matthew 25:40) I feel that this is an often overlooked aspect of the Gospel (if it's not, then it's often overlooked for me). This has been emphasized over and over again here at SOS. First of all, the "higher ups" on staff that are looking out for all of the other summer staff here at SOS are called staff servants. I think that this is so cool. The fact that servants are lifted up and given more responsibility. I feel as though in today's society servants are generally looked down upon if not subconsciously then explicitly. The lifting up of the servant is what we do when we worship Jesus. We are giving the ultimate servant the glory and worship that He deserves.
The staff servants brought this concept of "leading out of weakness" to the summer staff during the first 24 hours of staff training. This blew my mind. Any sort of leadership style, training, or booklet that you'll find out there is all about power. They look at your strengths and how you well you can take power in any situation. The concept of leading out of weakness comes from how we are all failed and horrible sinners of this world. There's no hope for us... any of us. Here's the beautiful part of this: Jesus is our strength. If we lead out of weakness... if we lead with nothing of our own, the only thing that the people you're leading are going to see is JESUS! Whoa. Your strength, wisdom, and power is only going to get you so far. The only way that you can be a true Godly leader is to be leading out of weakness, confessing your sins to the people around you, and turning to Jesus for any and all the glory that is present in this world.
This concept has also brought on a new grasp on the gospel. It's so easy to say that you're a sinner and to even mean it a lot of the times. It's so easy to say that you've accepted Christ into your life and say that you're a "Christian". But the severity of our brokenness is GIGANTIC! We are all broken people and that makes this whole earth broken. There's no way that we can be made whole by ourselves. There's nothing that we can do to earn it. The only way is to turn to Jesus. He's the only way that our lives, this world, and relationships are going to be made whole and brought back to the way they're supposed to be again. I love this stuff. I love Jesus.
What would it look like if we all realized our brokenness and weren't afraid to show it? Confess to someone. It frees the soul.
I'm excited to see how God is going to work through me, SOS, Bingham(p)ton, the campers, the homeowners, and all of the staff here. I've already learned so much and seen God work in crazy ways. Prayers for me being present while I'm here in Memphis and friends from school and home are appreciated. Prayers of wisdom and discernment on who God highlights in my life and what needs to be done.
