The bible in Matthew 10:39 says: Who ever finds his life will lose it and whoever loses

his life for my sake shall find it. What are we talking about here, jumpin g off a bridge or something equally dramatic. No, Jesus is talking about laying down your plan for your life and giving that over to Jesus; in other words, foll owing Christ in His way. In todays me and mine society, we rarely see a servant anymore. It seems to be al ways about our lives, our things and our plans. The servant of God lays those th ings down in pursuit of a more spirit filled walk and a more excellent way. A s ervant esteems others above themselves (Philippians 2:3 NKJV) and is always acti vely looking for ways to help others. The Lord asks us to be in the world but n ot of it. I believe this applies to the way we live our lives. The world steps o n the necks of the weak and ill to cut in line at Best Buy to purchase an improv ement to its home theater system. The world changes the channel quickly on the st arving children commercial to get to the infomercial that is selling a gadget th at will speedily jam fattening foods down its gullet; making our gluttony ever-ex panding and complete. Ah, but dont worry, we are not lost; for God sent us an exa mple to follow: Jesus. Let us not forget that Jesus humbled himself and became a man to live a blameles s life and die for all our sins(Philippians 2:8). Guess what items didnt exist 20 00 years ago: cars, motorcycles,planes, trains, bicycles or scooters. Thats right , Jesus hoofed it everywhere; and boy, that must have been tiring. There are man y accounts of Jesus rising early, going to bed late, speaking to thousands, heal ing all who would believe, calming storms, performing miracles and walking every where. That is a pretty busy schedule by any measuring stick. Yet, Jesus still h ad the energy, desire and time to serve. Let me put it to you another way: The G reatest of all, the Lord who measured the heavens, filled the oceans with fish a nd made each and every one of us, removed his loin covering and began to wash Hi s disciples feet. The King of Kings knelt down, humbled himself even more and wa shed the dusty feet of men, of which some still didnt believe, and showed us all how to serve in love (John 13:4-8). I know that weariness can get us all down and ineffective from time to time but that did stop our Great Example; Jesus. Even while He was dying on the cross, He still had time to minister to the thief next to Him. Wow, instead of completely focusing on his own suffering, He spoke kindness to the guy hanging on the cros s right next to him(Luke 23:42-43). I figure if servitude is modeled by my God a nd Lord, then it is absolutely required of me as well. Yes, there will be trials . Yes, it might hurt in some way. Yes, you will be rewarded. The bible says It wi ll be good for the master to find the servant doing so when He returns.(Matthew 24:46) I was inspired to write on this subject of sacrifice and servant hood because of a dear friend of mine. This lady truly has laid her life down. She left her own country to take care of her very sick mother; sacrificing her opportunity to se e her grown children more often. She left her home, career, a church and body of believers who supported her, her house and most of her possessions; to live in a country where there are no spirit filled churches to help her. She faithfully rises every morning to take care of her mothers medical needs prayerfully hoping to see her condition turn around. I know she would hate that I would mention her because she is a very humble God-fearing woman; and I will respect that. None o f my friends know of her with the exception of my lovely wife who helps me pray for her from time to time. This was not written to puff her up but to show other s an example of someone who obeys the Lords commands and is a testament to how a persons life can be changed just by serving. She does not regret her decision fo r she knows the Lords call. Her great testimony gives me hope that someday I migh t have the courage to serve so deeply. So, if you find yourself stuck in a closed in, selfish world, ask for Gods forgiv eness and follow Jesus example of servitude. It will change your life and change the world! God bless you my special friend. You know who you are. This poem is dedicated to people just like you : A champion of the sick.

Enjoy the poem, and as always, feel free to comment, The Great Plains Poet A Champion Of The Sick by Chris T. When you feel led to abandon your life Putting aside hopes, dreams and wants And fellowship becomes the account of which savings are drawn Being willing to be some one elses pawn If you cant watch another suffer at all When seeing the pain of a person isnt an option And if making a sacrifice puts you in the thick Then you are a champion of the sick Your caring hands have wiped every tear Your calming spirit still rises up to offer hope And your fervent prayers are carried up quick Because you are a champion of the sick Others, they mock your sacrifice; they are deaf to the call But you meet their needs swift on angels wings Gently catching those whod fall Though not in your power For you draw strength from above Cause making it happen is your greatest trick Making you a champion of the sick