Service starts in your mind
(As does temptation – remember?)
Attitudes count more than
achievements. God is always more interested in why we do something than what we
do.
+ Servants think more about
others than about themselves.
This is what it means to
‘lose your life’ – forgetting yourself in service to others. It’s only when we
forget ourselves that we do the things that deserve to be remembered. Unfortunately,
we serve to get others to like us, to be admired, or to achieve our own goals –
that is manipulation, not ministry. Humility is a daily struggle, a lesson we
must relearn over and over. Self-denial is the core of servanthood.
+ Servants think like
stewards, not owners.
Servants remember that GOD
OWNS IT ALL! Servanthood and stewardship go together, since God expects us to
be trustworthy in both. To become a real servant you are going to have to
settle the issue of money in your life…You CANNOT serve both God
and Money... Living for your ministry and
living for money are mutually exclusive goals. Money and materialism has the
greatest potential to replace GOD in your life. God uses money to test your
faithfulness as a servant. How you manage your money affects how much God can
bless your life – use wealth and riches to fund God’s church and its mission in
the world. (My tithing philosophy rings clear here; how you further God’s work
with your excess funds and goods is a personal choice between donating to an
organized body and going out and doing it yourself – I don’t think God minds;
as long as you are doing it with the right attitude of heart)
+ Servants think about their
work, not what others are doing.
Competition between God’s
servants is illogical – we’ve all been given different assignments; and we’re
all uniquely shaped. It is not our job to evaluate the Master’s other servants
– let the Master handle it. Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless
of what others say.
+ Servants base their
identity in Christ.
They remember that they are
loved and accepted by grace; and accordingly don’t have to prove their worth.
If you’re going to be a servant, you must settle your identity in Christ – only
secure people can truly serve God. When you base your worth and identity on
your relationship to Christ, you are freed from the expectations of others, and
that allows you to really serve them best. Servants find status symbols
unnecessary, and they don’t measure their worth by their achievements. The
closer you get to Jesus, the less you need to promote yourself.
+ Servants think of ministry
as an opportunity, not an obligation.
“Serve the Lord with
gladness” the Bible tells us. Because we love the Lord, we’re grateful for His
grace, and we know that serving is the highest use of life, and know that God
has promised a reward. Jesus promised: “The Father will honour and reward
anyone who serves me” – and now we know how…
‘The only really happy
people are those who have learned to serve’ – Albert Schweitzer
Gottaluvit..! Much love ~ Stafford
“Therefore, as God’s chosen
people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness,
humility, gentleness and patience.” -Colossians
3:12
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