Go Serve

Scripture 1 Peter 4:10-11:

¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

Key point

God created you with the ability to serve. God wants you to serve. That’s how God works in the world – through people like you.

Take-a-way

No matter what you do to serve it will be enough because God will take that effort and use it for his glory, but it can’t happen unless you give him what you have.

Scripture Galatians 5:13-14

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Key point

We all face external pressures to achieve, to fit in, and to conform to the world every day. We are bombarded with messages that tell us how to live, how we should look, and how to be popular. At times, we feel pulled in so many directions. There are so many voices telling us what to do, we stop trusting God’s true voice. We get trapped in our thoughts.

Take-a-way

God created you unique and special just the way you are. We all need help to see ourselves the way that God see’s us. We want to know the peace that comes with knowing and trusting that God loves us just the way we are.

Scripture Ephesians 2:8-10

⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do

Key point

Our purpose is to do God’s work in the world. And what does that look like? How do we make our lives about God’s work when we are facing real pressure to earn money, win the game, get the grades, impress people with our stuff, and do it all while being attractive, athletic, and well-dressed?

Take-a-way

We might not like every person we meet. But we are called to love people who don’t look, think, love, pray, or live like we do. We are called to care for and value one another, simply because we are human. That is our purpose, according to God.

Scripture Philippians 2:3-8

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:⁶ Who, being in very nature God,  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing   by taking the very nature of a servant,  being made in human likeness.⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,  he humbled himself  by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!

Key point

Paul makes it clear. To be the greatest is to be humble. Where we go so wrong is that our hearts get clouded by the world’s definition of greatness. It isn’t easy to live humbly in a world that so often celebrates arrogance. We do victory dances when we conquer an opponent; we invest time in getting the perfect “selfie” and then wait to see how many people “like” it; we live in a culture that often encourages competition more than cooperation.

Take-a-way

Help us to think of others more often, and ourselves less often. There are times when we need to be heard, and times when we need to listen. Help us recognize when our friends need us to show our love for them by humbly listening.

Scripture Colossians 2:6-7

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Key point

I know that gratitude doesn’t always automatically overflow. There are times when you have to choose to be grateful. Over and over and over again. Gratitude gets especially tough when thing aren’t going great in your life. Maybe you look around and it seems like your life isn’t fair. Maybe you have problems with your family, your friendships, or your health. At times like that, it’s easy to lose sight of gratitude. Believe me, I get that.

Take-a-way

The bottom line is this: The love of God is greater than everything else. God’s love is bigger than our problems; God’s love is greater than the struggles of life. It is a gift like no other. So, the depth of our gratitude for that love should overflow.

Scripture Exodus 33:14

¹⁴ The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Key point

You can count on God for strength and courage in every situation you face. It also means that you carry within you the love of God that will overflow to all the people you meet.

Take-a-way

God doesn’t want you to just DO service projects one week each year. God created you to BE serving people. When you tap into that loving, serving way of life, then you are fulfilling God’s plan for you. Find a way to make that happen.