Message Library

Joy in Serving

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Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

John 12:26

God created us in his image, and his image is seen in the life of Jesus. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. (John 14:9) Jesus lived with a serving heart, and we are created to live with a serving heart. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:5-7) We are created by God to have a serving heart, and that is why we feel content when we help someone, it’s our Godly nature.

Satan’s goal is to kill our God given nature to serve, and make us self-centered, only thinking about ourselves. Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” How can we love the Lord if we are self-centered, killing our serving heart. We step out in faith to serve the Lord and we are on guard to overcome Satan’s temptations that lead us to self-centeredness.

The more we serve, bringing God’s truth to the world, the more our hearts change toward the heart of Jesus, a heart motivated by love and compassion to minister to lost souls. Our serving hearts are on fire to minister, and drives us to the Lord in prayer, his Word, and in fellowship with other Christians. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. (Romans 12:11) The more we serve, the more dependent we become on the Lord, driving us to seek his wisdom through the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us to serve in ministering to others, because it is the Spirit the touches the heart of the person we are ministering.

Every Christian is created to serve, and the Holy Spirit guides our thoughts and words, and opens doors to serve. We may serve in the church by teaching a Bible class, praying, or encouraging.   We serve outside the Church family because that is where we find lost souls. We strive through a compassionate loving heart to point lost souls to the Good News of Christ, and we point them toward the eternal kingdom. When we are motivated by a loving compassionate heart, we have a serving heart that is pleasing to the Lord.

We are created to serve, and serving gives us the most fulfilling and satisfied life possible. The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. (John 10:10). The more we serve, the closer we are to the Lord, the more we understand his Word, the more we pray, and the more we desire to be with our church family.

Today be a servant for the Lord, offering kind, uplifting, thoughtful words to everyone. Listen intently and pray for more love and compassion in your heart. A compassionate loving heart that seeks to serve the Lord is a heart that is content and satisfied. The more we serve, the more we can experience the peace that transcends understanding.

Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with love and compassion and lead me with a serving heart. Help me to see people as you see them. I pray for wisdom and patience from the Spirit as I minister to others today. Thank you for guiding me by the Spirit and for continually changing my heart to the heart of Jesus. Forgive me when I fall short and give me the strength and wisdom to overcome. In Jesus name, Amen