“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:13-14
It’s pretty amazing to me how God has stressed the importance of serving as one of the greatest commandments , second to loving the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Yet it seems to be one we struggle with remembering at times.
My last thoughts were on apathy-it seems God keeps directing me to learn more on different topics and this time it’s on serving one another. At our last ladies bible study Leanne spoke on serving one another and it was so convicting to me! Such a great lesson! I know I’ve struggled with this at times. Sometimes it seems so obvious what God wants us to do and to be like Christ but I think the world gets our minds so distracted that the obvious becomes unknown and blended. When I think about being like Christ, I think well who was He? Christ was kind, trusting, loving, generous, and the list goes on and on! Christ showed us a prime example of what a believer is and how it should radiate through us in every part of our lives and everything we do
("Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”)
. One of those examples was being a servant and Christ was both a servant to the Father and to us. So as He was a servant of both we also are called to be servants of both. Obviously as “true” believers we’re indebted and in love with God, but we become sluggish with serving others. I guess apathy is a battle even here, surely apathy makes being a good servant a harder achievement.
“If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4
Just recently I have finally come to learn a valuable lesson in serving. It seems when we think of serving one another we tend to forget what all that means and how wide spread a servant should be. God tells us ways to serve, wives submit to your husbands , children obey your parent’s ,slaves obey masters…etc
I know in the past I have often been guilty of not doing a good job of serving my husband. I feel like I had a heart of love for him so I wanted to make him happy but I didn’t really have my heart in it for serving him. I know that sounds kind of odd, but I think in order to really be a true servant to one another it has to be in our hearts. Sometimes God needs to remind us of our callings. Being a servant, I’ve come to realize, means to sacrifice. Serving others for the Lord and His glory benefits the people we are serving also it gives us the opportunity to show our testimony. For example:
Recently my husband wanted to watch a football game re-run at his parents and I wasn’t feeling well and secretly wanted him to just come back home with me. He said he’d just go on home with me instead, but I could tell he really wanted to watch the game. In that instant I felt God working in my heart because I immediately told him to stay and just watch the game and I’d see him after. So he did and I saw him after and had time to relax with him. I know in the past and just being a woman I would have put on a guilt trip and got mad thinking that he didn’t care enough how I felt to stay home with me, but that wouldn’t be serving him or making him happy. I would have just been thinking about myself which isn’t what God calls us to do. It was in my heart, through God’s earnest convicting, to serve my husband through Christ which ultimately benefits him. See what I mean?
God has even blessed us with gifts that, if used wisely, He calls us to serve with….
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God! Wow! God wants us to be servants so much that He has given us special gifts to enable us further to serve. So then why is it that we don’t take Him seriously on serving? Prayer, prayer, prayer! That is what we (I) need to do, ask God to remind us and give us hearts of stewards for His grace! I pray that God would direct me in serving with a heart of pure unending love and desire to please Him.
Spurgeon once said this line in one of his sermons…
“Where you see so much of the man, you will see very little
of His Master.”
…..how very true! Serving the way God calls us to, radiating His glory and serving in His name! Reminds me yet again of another song lyric J…
Background
“It's evident you run the show so let me back down. You take the leading role, and I'll play the background. I know I miss my cues, know I forget my lines I'm sticking to your script, and I'm reading all your signs. I don't need my name in lights. I don't need a starring role. And why gain the whole wide world, if I'm just gon' loose my soul. And my ways ain't purified, I'll live according to your Word. I can't endure this life without your wisdom being heard.”
In the end the words every believer dedicates their lives to hearing is….
“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.”Mathew 25:23
