Wednesday, June 2, 2021
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
Called to Serve
Serving is a beautiful word. It sounds really good to serve but those who have served for years know that true service is not always pretty. Serving first requires sacrifice and second, availability. To serve we must be willing to lay aside our own desires and ideas about what serving is. And of course, we must be available – available to go and available to be used by God in the way He desires for His glory.
When God calls us to serve, He often calls us to the trenches. Serving God means sometimes means serving those that no one else wants to serve. It often means loving those that no one else likes. When we are truly serving in God’s name, we are an extension of Him – His hands and feet – and His heart. For many, serving means teaching preschool or helping in various ways at church. All those ways are certainly called by God and very important. But sometimes He calls us to the not so fun jobs in the not so fun places. Some people are willing to serve others as long as there is no inconvenience for them. But being available to serve God means being available to be inconvenienced.
Jesus gave us many examples of serving others while He was here on earth. In fact, everything He did while He was on earth was an act of service to God and others. As Christians we try to follow His example in every area of our lives. In Mark 12:32 He tells us to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” If we love, then we will serve. Serving is a part of love, and it is a big part of loving others in Jesus’ name. Loving others means more than just being tolerant of differences. In His name, when we see a need and meet it, we are doing His work and serving Him.
Serving does not earn us salvation and if we are doing it for any kind of acknowledgement or reward, then we are doing it for the wrong reason. Serving is fruit of our relationship with God. It is a spiritual discipline, and it will strengthen our walk with the Lord in every way. Serving will bring so much joy and reward to our heart and soul and should be done strictly for glory to God. As humans it is not our first instinct to always think of others first, but as our relationship with God grows, we will begin to think with a service mindset.
Every time we serve, our lives will be transformed. Serving will always bless us as much and sometimes more than those we serve. It also is fruit of the Spirit in our lives. For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26 If we say we have a relationship with God, yet there is no fruit in our lives, others will notice.
Some may say that service is not their gift, but if we are a child of God, we have been called to serve. We may all serve in different capacities, but serving is a part of the Christian walk for all of us. Look around you for ways to serve. Be intentional. The Lord will set opportunities before you and you will recognize them if you are looking for them. Make yourself willing to be inconvenienced for His kingdom and His glory today.
