2011 – You are ready to Serve……

But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. Romans 7:6

Serving God is a wonderful thing if we understand what it really is and how God actually does the work through us. Ministering for Jesus Christ can be as uplifting and exciting as hang gliding, or it can be as burdensome and boring as repeatedly rolling the same rock up the same mountain. No matter how difficult the work or how many times we feel like quitting, we can keep going and growing if we minister the way God tells us to in His word. Conversely, not having a clear vision of what Christian work is all about, you can easily get frustrated from not knowing what to do or how to evaluate the progress or results. It’s the old saying, "When a pilot does not know what port he is heading for, no wind is the right wind."

This isn’t just about methods or ideas, however; it is also about principles. If you are driving a car, you need a road map; if you are on the water, you need a compass. The object is to get somewhere, but the tools used to reach the goal are changed by the circumstances. This is a very familiar concept. Methods are many, while the underlying principles are few; methods always change, principles never do. Certainly we need methods to serve God, but we must remember that methods work (or don’t) because of the principles behind them. Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God. When you study the Book of Acts you’ll see in chapter 3:1-9 a model for ministry. Peter and John saw a man in great need, physically lame and spiritually dead. Manifesting the compassion of Christ, they shared God’s power with him, and he was completely healed and converted to Christ. God was glorified and many were open to hearing the gospel (verses 10-26).

If we are going to serve Jesus Christ in the way God wants us to minister and the way the apostles ministered, we must be connected to the divine resources personally, we must see the human needs compassionately, and we must become channels of God’s mighty resources so that God alone is glorified. When God is glorified, His Spirit can work to bring Christ to those who need to know Him. By reaching one individual, Peter was able to reach the masses.

So there are some basic questions you should ask yourself. Do you know God personally and understand the marvelous resources available through Jesus Christ? Are you concerned about the needs of others so that you see them and want to help? Are you filled with compassion when you notice others in need? Are you willing to be a channel for God’s glory?

Many of us don’t realize how much impact our workplaces have on us or how much self-worth and identity it imparts. You only realize that when you are no longer associated with a particular place. Men especially have the mindset that we have to be fixers; every problem needs to be fixed and anything short of that is a failure.

However, God has called us to be distributors, not manufacturers. He alone has the resources to meet human needs so all we can do is receive His riches and share them with others. We are all bankrupt in serving, and only God has the resources that enable us to serve. How do we explain anything that God does? We don’t. We just receive it, share it, and let God have all the glory. John 1:16 says, "And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace." We don’t earn grace, we don’t deserve grace; we simply receive it as God’s loving gift and then share it with others. We are channels of God’s resources, not reservoirs. Our manufacturer mentality causes us to depend on our own resources, things like experience, training, talent, money and education. God can and does sanctify these assets, but they are liabilities apart from His grace.

Remember, true and lasting ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs. We are essentially called to live for others (Mark 10:42-45). Ministry isn’t a job or career, but an opportunity to be poured out into others. When Jesus was on the earth, He met all kinds of needs, even though He wasn’t always thanked or appreciated. Needs are all around us and we operate many times as if they don’t exist, but that is not how a Christian servant lives. We are not to be self-centered but lowly (Philippians 2:3,4).

It is very possible to have selfish ambition in serving in order to get what you want rather than serving to give what others need. A sensitive spirit and a tender heart are essential! You don’t quote a Bible verse to someone who is physically hungry; you give them food (James 2:15-16).

The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Sometimes it isn’t what we have done that creates the difficulty but what others have done.

Children sometimes suffer from what their parents do, and the opposite is also true. But what life does to us depends on what life finds in us, and that is where the grace of God comes in. The Church is the body of Christ on earth, taking the place of the Savior who has returned to heaven. He "did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28), so our attitude is to be one of sacrifice and service for the glory of God.