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24"Truly, truly, I say to you,unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
25"He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
26"If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
"Well Done Good and Faithful Servant"
The Believer's Highest Honor
A tremendous contrast exists between what the Word teaches and what the world promotes. Nonbelievers treasure power, leadership, and ambition, but for the Christian, service is a high honor.
People have the mistaken idea that God calls only super-spiritual believers into preaching, missions, or other "official" church work. But all of us are servants of the Lord, charged with accomplishing His plan for our life. He places us in situations, vocations, and neighborhoods where we can have an impact. Think about the stay-at-home mom who raises godly children, or a bedridden man who prays regularly for his church family. Neither responsibility involves worldly power or recognition, but God honors such faithfulness.
There are no unimportant positions in the kingdom of God. Our point of service may change with the seasons of our life, but we are always on duty for Him.
Some believers waste their years instead of submitting. Either they never realize the Lord has a purpose for them, or they use excuses to avoid the work He calls them to do. Poor education, ill health, age, and lack of time cannot keep us from service if we are committed to Him. He uses whatever skills and gifts we have and provides the strength we need to be salt and light. We have an awesome privilege to be part of the divine labor taking place on earth. God doesn’t need our help, but He wants to incorporate our small contribution into His master plan. When we are obedient in serving, He honors us with the title "good and faithful servant."
Be Like Christ
Philippians 2:1-7
1Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6who, although He existed in the form of God,did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7but emptied Himself (laid aside His privileges) , taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
An Example of Service
Jesus defied the world’s expectations of a divine being. Many Jewish people of that time were looking for a powerful king who would liberate them by conquering the Romans. They were prepared to serve and worship that kind of messiah. Instead, the Savior was a humble man who didn’t think twice about washing dirty feet. While Jesus Christ could have banished the Roman presence from the region and then been glorified as an earthly ruler, He was very clear about His reason for being here: He came to serve, not to be served. (Matthew 20:28)
In fact, Paul refers to Jesus as the lowest form of worker--a bondservant. This type of laborer was responsible for the menial household tasks, including foot washings. Christ came into the world prepared to do whatever work was necessary to move men toward a saving knowledge of Himself. He values every soul. Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector, received His attention and love just as the Pharisee Nicodemus and the rich young ruler did. (Luke 19:1-10; 18:18-25; John 3:1-8) Jesus also spent time with people on the lowest rung of the social ladder, healing the sick and afflicted, and speaking with children.
A servant’s life is not self-centered but rather is focused on God and His work. The Bible calls us to serve the Father by following in the Son’s footsteps. Believers would never call Jesus weak, but those who chase after the world’s version of success probably would. Are you prepared to challenge our culture’s idea of power by accepting the humble position of servant?
(Above From Charles Stanley Devotions)
SERVE THE LORD WITH GLADNESS.
Psalm 100:2
Delight in divine service is a token of acceptance. Those who serve God with a sad countenance, because they do what is unpleasant to them, are not serving Him at all; they bring the form of loyalty, but the life is absent. Our God requires no slaves to grace His throne; He is the Lord of the empire of love, and would have His servants dressed in the uniform of joy. The angels of God serve Him with songs, not with groans; a murmur or a sigh would be a mutiny in their ranks. That obedience that is not voluntary is disobedience, for the Lord looks at the heart, and if He sees that we serve Him from force, and not because we love Him, He will reject our offering. Service coupled with cheerfulness is heart-service and therefore true. Take away joyful willingness from the Christian, and you have removed the test of his sincerity. If a man be driven to battle, he is no patriot; but he who marches into the fray with flashing eye and beaming face, singing, "It is sweet for one's country to die," proves himself to be sincere in his patriotism. Cheerfulness is the support of our strength; in the joy of the Lord are we strong. It acts as the remover of difficulties. It is to our service what oil is to the wheels of a railway carriage. Without oil the axle soon grows hot, and accidents occur; and if there be not a holy cheerfulness to oil our wheels, our spirits will be clogged with weariness. The man who is cheerful in his service of God proves that obedience is his element; he can sing,
Make me to walk in your commands,
It's a delightful road.
Reader, let us put this question--do you serve the Lord with gladness? Let us show to the people of the world, who think our religion to be slavery, that it is to us a delight and a joy! Let our gladness proclaim that we serve a good Master.
1 Psalm 23:5
