Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value other above yourselves,
not looking to your own interests
but each of you to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:3-4 NIV
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In case I haven’t already said it, Messy Worship is not just the title of my Blog, it’s how I live. I wake up every (okay, maybe not EVERY) morning with the goal of attempting to worship God in all that I do that day. And every day, regardless of how hard I try, it doesn’t look as good as it does when Jesus did it. However, each day that I make that my goal, I get a little closer to days that are more than just “killing time” or “only living once.” I come closer to days in which life and worshipping God become intertwined. Those days are really, really cool.

One of those days that I was super focused on worshipping God with every moment, a friend shared with me a three minute long TED talk that still makes me laugh AND challenges me every time I think about it. This particular Talk is called “How to Start a Movement.” I don’t know if the speaker giving this talk realized it, but his ideas align almost directly with some core Biblical principles about leadership. It’s a really clever, poignant way to map out how to be a Contagious Christian in two really powerful, realistic ways. Check it out! (It’s literally 3 minutes and 2 seconds long… you can do it!!)

[ted id=”derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement” align=”center” mode=”normal” autoplay=”no”]

Two questions:

Q1: Your actions lead people. They might only lead people to draw conclusions, but most times it’s much more than that. When you take the time to think about your choices this week, what are your actions leading people to think or do?

Q2: What kind of Contagious Christian are you?

1. Are you a lone nut: Are you the kind of Christian that loves others radically the way Christ did, regardless of how much you know or how intimidating it is to do it? Do you put an “I love Jesus” bumper sticker on and then drive your car like you mean it? Do you worship God boldly with your dance, song, work, and play? Do you give generously to those in need and encourage others to do the same? Do you lead others by loving God with your WHOLE heart, soul, body and mind? Congratulations: you are a LONE NUT Contagious Christian!!!
2. Are you a first follower: Do you lead by serving? Do you seek out those Christians who are loving Jesus loudly and find a way to help them do it more and with less fear? Do you help console the hurting and speak kindly to the lost so that they find themselves asking “what makes this person act so generously?” Do you look for ways to increase the courage of others who might be sitting on the sidelines of the Christian faith, unsure of how to join the dance? Congratulations: you are a FIRST FOLLOWER Contagious Christian!!!

Jesus told us how to lead as Jesus-lovers in Philippians chapter 2. He said:

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. (Philippians 2:1-5 NLT)

I would love to fight less, love more and work together more. I would love to be less selfish, be more humble and take an interest in others. I would love to be more of a part of the Jesus movement.

I know I’m not the only one… who is with me?

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Dear Lord, thank you for giving us this life so that we can seize opportunities to love you deeper and serve each other more. Please help us to remember that it is YOUR movement we are a part of and that you were once bold enough to be a lone nut for our sakes. Let us be that bold in loving you and one another. Amen.

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/92028474@N00/5804075529″>Silhouettes</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>(license)</a>