INTERESTS

Russ and Marianne Lambert are the kind of couple I imagine almost everyone would want living in their neighborhood. Russ was my High School principal at Faith Academy in the Philippines. Not only did he take a personal interest in us as students, he worked to relate to us at our level—not an easy task with teenagers. Marianne, like her husband, was immensely popular and very gracious—like a den mother to a pack of—well we weren’t wolves, but you get the idea!

So, it has hit a lot of us grads hard to see Marianne afflicted with a brain tumor. It’s difficult to think of a more special couple suffering as they are. Yet when I had opportunity to talk with Russ recently, he spent little time dwelling on their situation. Instead, he asked me about my family and how we were doing. He inquired about my folks. When we did get back to Marianne’s health, he commented on how they were blessed. Blessed—an interesting choice of words during the hardest trial of his life.

When Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, no matter what our circumstances we can with conviction say we are blessed. When Jesus is Lord, we don’t gravitate towards selfishness we rightly prioritize life and relationships. When Jesus is Lord, we clue in to the people God brings alongside us and minister to them from the heart. When Jesus is Lord we don’t curl into a ball and wilt before fear, we look adversity in the eye and thank God that through His Son we are overcomers. When Jesus is Lord, God is honored and everyone knows it. I can tell you, Jesus is Lord in the Lambert’s lives.

Meditation

Philippians 2:3-5—Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

How’s your world? Do you find yourself continuously gravitating towards personal needs? Does it seem you are fixated on problems that just won’t evaporate? If so, it’s important to schedule personal time to fellowship with God. When He is first, it truly is amazing how balance is restored. You’ll see those people that climb under your epidermis with a different set of eyes. The Holy Spirit will give you insight in how to minister to those you encounter. Jesus enables us to see the interests of others and care. From my vantage, there are a whole lot of people that need caring. So let’s make a difference one life at a time—like the Lamberts have been doing for over forty years.

Inspiration

The direction of divine living is that I identify myself with God’s interests in other people, and He is interested in some funny people, namely, you and me!—Oswald Chambers in The Place of Help