Rightly Related To Jesus

At the end of Mark Lamberton's book Called he writes the following which connects to the title of my blog "Dave's Soul Work".

The very process of spiritual transformation is itself God's call on us. Seeking God's transformation in our lives is both the process and the end. Following Jesus is not a destination; we do not arrive. We wake and live and sleep and wake again to follow another day. This is the extraordinary spiritual road trip that disciples have always known and that all disciples must discover anew.

From Oswald Chambers My Utmost For His Highest comes the following insights and helps for the work of the soul.

The snare in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service, to rejoice in the fact that God has used you. You can never measure what God will do through you if you are rightly related to Jesus Christ. Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it. When once you are rightly related to God by salvation and sanctification, remember that wherever you are, you are put there by God; and by the reaction of your life on the circumstances around you, you will fulfill God's purpose, as long as you keep in the light as God is in the light.
The tendency today is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of people who make usefulness their ground of appeal. [Their means of salvation] If you make usefulness the test then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure that ever lived. The lodestar [focus, main ingredient] of the saint is God Himself, not estimated usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for God.

You will probably have to read that again to get the full meaning

It happened in our small group Bible study but I don't remember the context out of which I said it but it had to do with being faithful to God's call on our life. I stated that a motto I have always liked was "Doing Feet" which is referencing Jesus washing the disciples' feet and giving his disciples a model of loving service. Jesus often did the most menial and commonplace of acts of service and love. For me to follow Jesus' example it will take all God's power in me to do the most humble and commonplace things in His way. Doing all the ordinary sordid things of our lives reveal more quickly than anything what we are made of. Truly it takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the meanest duty as it ought to be done. Jesus not only sets us the example he also supplies the ability to do as he has done.

"Do what God says and say what God does!"