"Kingdom Servants"

"Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus." (John 18:10 KJV)

  "As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It is evil to make mindless offerings to God. Don't make rash promises, and don't be hasty in bringing matters before God. After all, God is in heaven, and you are here on earth. So let your words be few." (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 NLT)

 Have you ever been quick to react to something, doing something really stupid, and then wished that you could have taken it back? I'm pretty sure we all have, from time to time. Peter is trying to prove Jesus wrong about his lack of courage and commitment to stand up for his Lord. Although, he probably picked the weakest and most humble guy in the crowd, to try and make his point with! 

 As we know from the other Gospel's, Jesus put the ear back onto Malchus' head, which was His last miracle that He would do, before being nailed to the cross. Isn't that ironic, that the last healing would be to correct something stupid done by one of His disciples? I find it pretty interesting the John makes a point of giving us the servant's name; as it was, John is also the only one that says who it was that cut off his ear. 

 Not that John and Peter had some kind of confrontation with each other, but they did sometimes try to outdo each other and make themself appear greater than the other. We have this natural gift, as James calls it, the spirit of envy, (James 4:5). 

 First of all, we must be focused on the Kingdom of God, first and foremost! This life is going to be over, and the eternal life that awaits is what we need to be getting ready to address. If we can just make that to be our number one priority, we would find that the things we often worry about, really won't matter all that much. 

 This life might have its ups and downs, but if we can just be focused on that which God has promised, we will find that life's troubles are really not all that threatening and hard to deal with. Not that I have been very good at keeping that attitude the pattern of my life, because I have not! But it's the little things in this life that get under my skin; the little things that I feel are my problems, so I really don't try to let God deal with them. Instead, I deal with them on my own, which usually brings out the flesh. 

 Secondly, and most importantly, try your very best to be calm and patient. Don't rush into reacting to things without first praying about what you should say or do; counting on the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you a right attitude in everything you do, or don't do. Again, not my routine in most instances, so I really don't have the authority to offer advise; I can only tell you that is what I am always praying God would help me to do! 

 Thirdly, and most assuredly! If you ask God to give you a certain attitude or ability, then you should be prepared to practice it, because you going to get challenged in that area of your life...

"May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord. By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires." (2 Peter 1:2-4 NLT)