Serve ... Who? How? Where?

Several responded to “New Year’s Training Course” – particularly challenged by the desire to serve God  . . . the question is where to begin …

HOW?   And then, WHERE?   And, WHO should we serve?

As most of you know, I am a corporate pastor to an international company ~ I received this note several days ago:  We would like to ask you to lead us into 2011 to learn and really start to listen and understand God's will and our purpose here on earth - individually and for our business.  We discussed today that we believe it is to Glorify God Almighty and to Serve Him and His people.  Now, I know that’s a mouthful, but we all really want to turn the table around in 2011 and change our way of thinking.  2011 will be the year to serve God.  Please help us figure out what that really means because it is so easy to say but so hard to put into motion and act on.  Whoa . . .

In the last several years, I have watched this management team grow in intimacy with the Lord, and with each other.  Really—there is nothing like it this side of Heaven!  The discussion he references above was part of our weekly international conference call, (one that I was unable to lead).  You will note that he recognizes that we are all given an individual purpose we are meant to fulfill in our earthly lives … 

He also rightly spoke that central to that purpose is serving God.  But, for the sake of those who need to back up a bit, we must go WAY BACK. 

You and I were created by God

   In the image of God 

      For relationship with God. 

Wait . . . stop!  Do you have a relationship with God?  I mean, sure, you believe in him, but do you think he would recognize you as his child?  Do you live in such a way as to please him?  Not sure –

Consider your relationship with your Creator.  Do you have your own relationship with Jesus Christ?  Have you surrendered your will to his?  (For this is where you must begin in finding your purpose~) If not, you are invited to do so now, by praying a simple prayer of faith, something like this:  ‘Dear God, I want to know you more.  I recognize that I sin regularly, and that since no unholy thing will be in your presence, my sins must be covered—and Jesus Christ did that on the cross.  Since I want to spend eternity with you, please forgive me of my sins, and come and lead my life.  Amen’  If you prayed that prayer, you are part of the family of God. . . welcome!

Jesus said the greatest commands were, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul…mind…strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.’  Accordingly, stepping into our God-given purpose involves serving others, because we desire to serve God.  Serving is first a heart attitude toward people, issuing forth from the second command above, ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ and then it is a demonstrated act. 

We cannot love well without humility, because to love another means it can’t always be about us; it means we are able to forget about ourselves for a little while.  (‘Think you are humble?  How much time do you spend thinking about yourself?)

In Philippians, chapter two, Paul defines humility:

Verses four through seven.  “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.”

Your attitude should be the same as Christ’s-------HUMBLE.  And notice, that right attitude emanates from right thinking.  I don’t think, though, that just by thinking about it, we will be humble; we must practice it.

From this passage we see that Jesus Christ was willing to become a servant.  Am I?  What does it mean to ♦serve¨?

Jesus modeled greatness through service to others when he did not seek a public office, earn a degree, lead an army, or discover some scientific truth.  Jesus’ entire ministry was about service to his Father in Heaven, service to his mission, service to his followers, and ultimately, service to those he came to save.  Jesus was a great man because he was a servant.  We acknowledge him as great because he lived beyond the noise of life and purposefully lived to bring people closer to their Creator.  As Lord of all, he might have lived above us and demanded blind allegiance.  But he served us in our misunderstanding, our selfishness, and our weakness.  He saw what we needed and helped us.  He knew where we needed to be and took us there—with great love and respect for us. (Jesus on Leadership, C. Gene Wilkes)

Service is the outpouring of

         the heart surrendered to God, and

                  willing to be submissive to Him

                               by serving others.

How are we doing?

Christine