Matthew 20:25-28;23:11-12 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many… The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
Graced to Serve: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10-11)
We all have graces, talents and abilities given to us by God. 1 Peter 4 shows us that we should use those graces to serve one another in a selfless way. The Word of God tells us in Ephesians 6:7 to “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people”
Remember the day will come when Jesus says “What you have done to the least of these, My brethren, you’ve done it unto Me”. We serve people, but we do it as if we’re serving the Lord. When we bless others, we’re blessing Jesus.
We always must remember that when we serve others, we’re serving Jesus. This adds a whole new meaning to the Helps Ministry! When we serve coffee to visitors, we’re serving it to Jesus. When we work in the nursery, we’re watching Jesus’ child. When we clean the Church, we’re cleaning Jesus’ Church!
Whenever I get discouraged or tired, I remember Who it is I am doing this for! In Colossians 1:24-29 Paul talks about his work within the Church, he says in verse 25 “God has given me the responsibility of serving his church” He goes on in verse 29 “For this I labor, striving with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” What has God put in your heart to do within His church? He will give you the grace, the will and the power to see it through!!
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24
Serving with Gladness: “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:2)
In 2 Corinthians 9, it says “God loves a cheerful giver”. We know this passage was talking about giving an offering, but I believe this is also true when it comes to serving Him. Giving of our time and talents!
I heard an African preacher once say “Anything not done cheerfully for the Lord, shouldn’t be done.”
Deuteronomy 28:47-48 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with a heart full of joy and gladness for the abundance of all things [with which He blessed you], 48 you will therefore serve your enemies whom the Lord sends against you, in hunger and in thirst, in nakedness and in lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke [of slavery] on your neck until He has destroyed you.
The enemy would love to come knock the wind out of our sails and get us discouraged. He wants to wear us down and wear us out. The enemy wants to halt and hinder what God is doing, and those serving in Church are often on the front lines. But you must always remember, “the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.” There is a reason God has you serving where you are! He sees your sacrifice and your work – He sees your faithfulness! He hasn’t forgotten about you, He is pleased and will reward your faithfulness greatly!
Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.