HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
Today’s scriptures are about serving the Lord. Service is required of all believers, the Apostle Paul wrote: You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Gal. 5:13-15 NIV) God commanded us to love Him, as well as each other, and as I’ve said many times before, love is an action; it’s not just something that we say but something we do. The best way to show our love to God is through service. We can serve Him in many different ways, so it’s best to find your calling and follow it. When we serve God with love, our heart will automatically be fulfilled.
The opposite of love is hate, so it’s important to point out where Paul said, “If we bite and devour each other, we’ll be destroyed by each other.” As believers we become a part of one body, which is the Body of Christ; a brotherhood of sorts. In this brotherhood, we’re responsible for taking care of, and supporting each other, in order to promote growth in the entire Body. Too often the Christian community finds itself divided amongst each other, and that’s what the devil wants. When we become divided, we’re weakened, and can’t stand as strong as we could if we’re united. We must be careful not to look down our noses at people who are lost, because we were once there. All too often, we see people who have been blessed with tremendous wealth and resources, and they sever themselves from people less fortunate. Then there are people who are too busy working to “build a life”, that they can’t possibly take on another “project”, until they reach their life’s goals. We must be aware of our demeanor and attitudes at all times, because we can destroy others, by trying to build up ourselves.
The Apostle Paul is one of the most quoted and recognized servants in the bible, and I believe God used him in such an awesome way, because most human beings can relate to Paul’s life, from beginning to end. Paul wasn’t a perfect man, but he surrendered to, and served under Jesus Christ—he died for the sake of the Gospel. Paul said, in his speech to the Ephesian Elders: I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” (Act 20:19) Through all that Paul faced—persecution, abuse, false imprisonment, torture, or whatever else you can think of—he refused to stop serving the Lord. He fought so that the people that came after him wouldn’t have to fight as hard. He preached the gospel to empower and inspire the lost [and believers], to grow in Spirit and truth. I learned from Paul that life won’t always be easy, but we must press forward for the Lord, because our rewards are much greater in Heaven.
Paul ended this speech with this: “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:32-35) When we trust God with all our heart, it’s so much easier to live by this simple principle, because we truly believe that God is going to supply our every need. When strive to give first, we’ve truly taken on the heart Jesus Christ. Jesus was the ultimate servant of God, and His life was more about us, than it was about Him.
I remember not too long ago, I was in this total “woe it’s me” season, complaining about how hard life is, and how I always put everyone else’s needs in front of my own. There was one moment that I heard the Spirit say, “it’s not about you Saundra”. Right then a light bulb went off, and I finally started to get it. Everything isn’t always all about me, and I needed to step outside of myself, and try to see life through the eyes of Christ. It wasn’t until then, that I realized what life was all about. It’s not about how much you can receive, or how hard you work to accumulate riches, but it’s about how much you give. From then forward, the answer to all of my problems was, “It’s not always about you Saundra”, and that helps me step back, and see God’s part in every situation. If you’re struggling with service, keep reminding yourself that it’s not all about you. We’re here to accomplish something much deeper than we could imagine. I’m not telling you to forgo all of your plans and goals for the future, but to seek God first. Follow His lead and I promise you’ll find that service is always at the top of His list.
When we accept Jesus as Lord, we become one with Him, and He begins to work on our heart. When you take on the heart of a servant, strive to follow His lead. If you haven’t confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, or aren’t sure where you stand with Him, take a few moments to take the God Quiz right now, you don’t have time to waste. It’s time to start storing up your treasures in Heaven. My favorite verse today is: I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16)
ENJOY! http://www.bible.com/scripture-detail.php?juli=2455511&dtype=Scripture
http://www.intouch.org/broadcast/today-on-radio
http://www.intouch.org/magazine/daily-devotional
I love you!
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