The Hotel Search, a Horrible Tribute Band, and the True Meaning of a Servant
I’ve been enjoying a great Labor Day weekend, spending time at church and putting in the heavy work for the September 30th memorial. We are actively building out the website, emails, and social media posts to encourage everyone to use Cash’s lock screen—the thorn-crowned Jesus—as their own screensaver to honor him and remember Christ’s sacrifice.
This weekend, a very dear, close friend of mine from Virginia came down for work. I love this guy, but I know he has struggled with alcohol and other heavy things in the past, and it pains me because he has young kids back home. Friday night, we grabbed my other buddy from downtown St. Pete and hit St. Pete Athletic before touring the downtown sights. But I wasn’t drinking or staying out late. We decided to head home early around 8:30 PM. My downtown buddy called me an hour later in disbelief: “You went home at 8:30? Who does that?” He had been napping before going out, totally missing our early window.
Saturday was a much better day. We spent time at the pool and the beach, and my Virginia friend talked to absolutely everyone we passed. He is incredibly sociable, funny, and likable—he actually talks more than I do. We had a deep, quiet moment where he told me he was proud of how I handled Cash’s passing, admitting he cried his eyes out for a week straight when it happened. He has such a good heart, and I prayed deeply that God would give me an “in” to share Christ with him. But Saturday night, we ended up at a gig for a horribly bad Kid Rock tribute band (the lead singer was a friend of Sierra’s boyfriend... and I’m pretty sure Kid Rock wouldn’t be proud of that performance). I left early again, leaving my Virginia friend with my downtown buddy.
Sunday morning, my friend needed a place to stay. I gave him a simple offer: if you get up just a half-hour earlier and come with me to Radiant East for church, you can stay at my place. I messaged him on the way. No answer. Finally, at 10:30 AM, he texted back saying he was out looking for a hotel. It was incredibly frustrating. All he had to do was come to church, and he would have had a free place to stay. But in that moment of frustration, it hit me: it is not my job to save him. It’s not my job to change his heart. All I can do is set the example, put in the work, and leave the results entirely to God.
Today’s SOAP
S - Scripture
Isaiah 65:13-14 (NIV): “Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame. My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit.’”
Psalm 15:1-2 (NIV): “LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;”
O - Observation
Reading through Isaiah today, the phrase “God’s servant” kept leaping off the page. The contrast God draws between His servants who rejoice and those who chase the world and go hungry is stark. I recently changed my social media bio from “follower of Christ” to “Servant of God.” “Follower” sounds too passive today—like I’m just casually following Jesus on Instagram. A servant, however, actively listens to the Holy Spirit and executes the Master’s plans instead of their own. They dwell in the sacred tent because they do what is righteous.
A - Application
I know exactly where my friend is at right now, because I struggled with those exact same empty, temporary pursuits during my own feral 40s. Just “talking to God” wasn’t enough for me back then, and it isn’t enough now; we have to give 100% of our lives over to Him. But as a servant of God, my assignment isn’t to force change or manipulate outcomes. My assignment is obedience. I will continue to pray for my buddy daily, hoping the Lord changes his heart and shows him the way, but I release the heavy burden of trying to be his savior. Whatever plans I have must be His plans, not my own.
P - Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for a restful Labor Day weekend and the clarity that comes from Your Word. I lift up my dear friend to You today. It pains me to see him chasing temporary things when he has kids at home and so much potential in his heart. Lord, I ask that You would break through the noise and show him the way. Forgive me for the times I try to step into the role of savior. Remind me daily that I am simply Your servant. Help me to lay down my own agenda, execute Your plans, and trust You entirely with the results. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Today’s Challenge
Identify one person in your life who frustrates you because you are constantly trying to “fix” or save them. Today, intentionally step down from the savior role, commit to simply being a servant who sets a godly example, and release their outcome entirely to God.
