Are you laying down your life?

We had Jeff and Kathy Deasy speak at our church yesterday morning. Kathy grew up at Trace Creek Baptist Church. Jeff and Kathy have given their lives to serve as Missionaries. They served several years in Brazil and now are in Kenya serving. As they were sharing yesterday these verses came to mind:





John 15:13

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.



1 John 3:16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.



Now our first thought when we read these verses pertaining to "lay down his life" is death. Which is true love. I also think we can look at it another way and I want you to think about it pertaining to your own life this morning. We can also "lay down our life" in a way in which we put down our own agendas and serve others. This is what Jeff and Kathy do on a daily basis. For the Christian it is a call for us also. All of us are not called to go to Africa, but all of us are called to be servants! Look at what Jesus says here:



John 13:14-17

14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.



Now Jesus wants to do more than just wash feet, the example He gave here is clear...serve others and you shall be blessed!



When I think about laying down my life for others the first thing that comes to mind is TIME! That is what is most precious to us. We have to lay down time that we want to spend on other things and spend it on serving others!



So are you laying down your life for Jesus or keeping it for yourself?



Tom