Sep 28, 2018
Those who serve well
gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus. 1Tim 3:13
Not only does serving
God meet needs and fulfill God’s expectation, it grows faith and brings honor.
Money is the physical currency of the present culture,
functioning as the primary measure of personal success in America. But in many other cultures or eras, money is
not the primary success currency.
In early Old Testament times, personal success was measured
by children. If you had male children,
you were considered a great success. The
more children you had, the greater your success (just ask Jacob). Later in Jewish history, it wasn’t just male
children, but land ownership. Since land
was passed down from generation to generation, having a land deed carried the
most value in their society. In Eastern
cultures, the primary currency of success is actually honor – to lose honor or
demean your name was considered unimaginable, even to the point of suicide if
you suffered defamation. Some cultures put the greatest value on other things,
like career, power, attractiveness, and more.
God’s culture values none of these, because they all are so
temporary. God has a different success
measure, and it doesn’t involve physical possessions. God values service to His Kingdom as the
primary currency of success. He watches
& takes note of what people DO for His Kingdom, and who they Become
(emphasis on BE). Jesus says it
often: the greatest in the Kingdom of God is one who serves… I (Jesus) came to serve… Well done, good & faithful servant… If anyone wants to be first---he must be
servant of all.
God’s Kingdom honors & blesses service. That doesn’t just mean volunteering, it means
having a heart that desires to serve God.
He is looking for people that WANT to serve, and when God finds them, He
gives those servants special blessings.
One of those blessings is honor --- we instinctively know
that there is always honor & appreciation that comes with service. People who serve are reality-makers, turning
dreams and ideas into true happenings.
God looks for servants that He can perform his work through.
Another blessing is assurance --- nothing helps encourage us
to believe in God and believe in our salvation more than service. When people have served all their lives, it
makes those left behind feel convinced in their loved one’s salvation. It also encourages us to believe in God, and
have faith in our eternal destination.
There are many other blessings from service, but
most of all, serving is our response to God’s love for us. In spite of all the distractions of life and
the desires of sin, keep on serving. By
doing so, you will grow your faith in Christ.
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