 What does it mean to serve the Lord? How and when do you serve Him? Is serving the Lord just being involved in ministry at church? How do we serve God every day when we are not at church?
To serve means “to be a servant, to be of use, to be favorable, opportune, convenient, to give the service and respect due, to comply with the commands of.” As we study the verses of Scripture in which the word “serve” is mentioned, we find the answers to the above questions. (For the sake of time and space, I will not list all the Bible references, but I encourage you to do a study for yourself.) First, we see the attitudes that we are to serve the Lord with: sincerity, truth, willingness, gladness, submission, and reverence. Second, the places of services are the heart, the spirit, and the place of church/meeting. Third, the ways that we can serve God are through obedience without any rebellion, considering what God has done for us, following God, doing what is right, loving others, having a pure conscience, praising the Lord, honoring God with our bodies, and not serving false gods. Based on the above, the place of service does not start with being at church and “doing ministry.” Service starts in our hearts and spirits, with our attitudes and choices to obey God and praise Him every day, no matter where we are or what we are doing. Since we are to love God all of the time and always walk in submission and obedience to His will for our lives, then we can serve the Lord every moment of every day. Even the daily household chores of homemaking, caring for family, and helping others wherever we go are ways to serve the Lord. Let's not limit our thinking and service to the Lord to only be at church or doing a ministry, because true service to God can be everywhere that we are and in all we do! Let's look at a few people in the Bible who served God faithfully. Caleb and Joshua When the children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land, Caleb and Joshua were 2 of the 12 spies. These two men believed in God and were not afraid of the giants of the land because they knew God would deliver them. The Bible says that, three times, both men “wholly followed” the Lord. They were the only two men above twenty years old in that entire generation, of possibly two million people, who got to go into the Promised Land. What a testimony of faithfulness to serve God! Samuel Hannah prayed for a son and promised God she would give him to the Lord for His service. God answered her prayer, and she kept her promise. As soon as Samuel was old enough, she took him to the temple. There, Samuel remained for the rest of his life as he “ministered unto the Lord before Eli.” Later, when Israel wanted a king, Samuel told the people, “I am old and grayheaded… and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.” (1 Samuel 12:2) Through Samuel we see a life of great faithfulness, love, and prayer for God's people (1 Samuel 12:23) Naaman's Maid Naaman and his army had attacked Israel and brought back as a captive a little girl. We are not given her name or age, but she was an amazing girl. Even though her parents most likely had been killed by Naaman and his army, she still told of the prophet in Israel who could help Naaman with his leprosy. Her witness was instrumental in bringing Naaman to the Lord. Let's be like this maid and not harbor bitterness toward those who do us wrong, but rather show them the love and power of God. Daniel When Daniel was taken captive to Babylon, probably as a teenager, we find that he “purposed in his heart” to do right, even though it could have cost him his life. As we read the book of Daniel, we see that he was a man of prayer and honesty. By the time he was thrown into the den of lions, he was likely in his 90’s. His entire life was one of righteous living, even in one of the most wicked places on earth at that time. May we learn to be faithful to God everywhere we are and in all circumstances. Anna In Luke chapter 2, we find the story of Anna, a woman who was about 84 years old, who “served God with fastings and prayers night and day.” Her faithfulness to God was rewarded when she saw Baby Jesus. May we be faithful to pray night and day like Anna. From these examples, we see that serving God has no age limit. A newborn baby can be used by God to be a blessing just as much as the prayers of an elderly person. Even giving someone a cup of water, when done as to the Lord, is noticed by God and rewarded (Mark 9:41). What an honor it is to serve the Lord! As we live each day and when we reach the end of our lives, may it be said of us that we “wholly followed” the Lord.  Let's talk about justification.
The word means to prove that something is right or needed, but how often do we misuse the word to mean compromise? To compromise means to settle for or accept something that is less than desired. When we settle on what is not sound doctrine, we lower our credibility regarding what is justified. This means that when we as Christians do not speak up against the evils of the world, we are misrepresenting what we believe in. We want the world to know that God loves them, but we also don't want to coddle them into Hell. Speaking up for what is right should never be neglected. The world will not agree, but who are you wanting to please, the world or God? Don't get your hands dirty. One way we justify things is to allow others to do the "dirty work". We are not "technically" sinning because we didn't do it. Let me correct you now… Yes, you are! God knows the motives of our hearts, our thoughts, and our actions. The Bible tells us that if we think about doing something that is just as bad as doing it, we are to repent and hold our thoughts captive. With this being said, think about the Jews, who gave Jesus to Pilate to be crucified, who killed Jesus? The Jews, it was the hatred within their hearts that chose Barnabas (the robber) over Jesus. Just because they didn't flog Him and beat Him and put Him on the cross, their decisions did. Leaving them guilty of murder. Could you imagine a Holy figure (such as a preacher) murdering someone and still holding any credibility afterwards? Yet some still follow the legalistic beliefs that the Pharisees taught and judge others for not doing the same. Pilate When reading about the crucifixion, did you ever notice what role Pilate portrayed? He was not a nice man, known for his cruelty and harshness in punishment. We can assume that he was not a compassionate or merciful man because of his stature at the time. We can also gather that He didn't believe in Jesus, but still, He didn't find Jesus guilty. If you read John 18-19, you will notice that Pilate gave the Jewish leaders at least three chances to change their minds about putting Jesus to death. Pilate flogged Jesus, whom he thought was innocent at the time, and again told the Jews that he found no guilt within Him. I can imagine the troubled heart Pilate felt for Jesus, not blinded by hatred like the Jews, but seeing an innocent man sent to death. Pilate told the Jews to kill Him themselves. Pilate, not wanting to do the dirty work, but the Jewish leaders expressed the rules they had, leaving Pilate trapped to compromise. The Jews also coerced Pilate by denying God and claiming Ceaser as their king, implying that Pilate would be betraying the Roman king if He didn't follow through with crucifying Jesus. Results of fear Hopefully, we know the story leads to a positive outcome of the resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit. God can use our sinful actions to teach us and those around us. We are always able to repent and turn toward the Lord when we humble ourselves and realize our sin. God used the hatred of His Son to justify (prove something is right or needed), saving the faithful. We can also learn from this that sin often leads to negative consequences (like death), but if we remain faithful in troubled times (think of the disciples), we can be given hope and peace (Jesus appearing to them). The death of Jesus is not just about how horrific the pain He endured was, or how much He loves us, but also about forgiveness and how God always fulfills His purpose, whether we oppose or not. God won; He gave us the instructions. Let's not retreat over the amiability of compromising. Break the grip of fear and Satan's lies and walk with God in the truth, knowing and believing, by proving what it means to be a follower of Christ. |
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