Hello there! I hope everyone is doing well.
I am inspired to write something about the sermon tonight at worship service.
Our pastor mentioned three essential qualities or characteristics of a good servant of God:
1. Sacrifice.
Boom! First big word – Sacrifice.
The first thing that comes in mind whenever I hear this word is killing. Okay, wait? Not really. Dying might be the word. It’s offering someone or something valuable to us in exchange for something worthy and important. It could be our time, people, something we really want or value the most.
“Are you willing to give up your life, your profession to serve God?”he asked.
Jesus sacrificed Himself for us.
Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God’s Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don’t be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:
Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain
equal with God.
Instead he gave up everything
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.
Then God gave Christ
the highest place
and honored his name
above all others.
So at the name of Jesus
everyone will bow down,
those in heaven, on earth,
and under the earth.
And to the glory
of God the Father
everyone will openly agree,
“Jesus Christ is Lord!”Hebrews 10:5-10
It is just simply amazing to think and realize how important we are in His sight. A GOD, a Master who is mindful of us. Jesus let go of His privilege, His glory in Heaven for you and me.
Our pastor encourages us not to be double-minded. If you choose God, serve Him only. Go back to the origin in serving God. Deny yourself for Him. “ME” shouldn’t exist anymore. It’s all about Him.
2. Humility
He made Himself nothing.
Christ was humble.
He obeyed God
and even died
on a cross.Philippians 2:8
“Our pride is a hindrance to our service to God. Humble yourself to Him. Swallowing our pride is a sign of maturity.”
In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say,
“God opposes everyone
who is proud,
but he is kind to everyone
who is humble.”James 4:6
3. Obedient
“Obedience is better than sacrifice”
“Tell me,” Samuel said. “Does the Lord really want sacrifices and offerings? No! He doesn’t want your sacrifices. He wants you to obey him.
1 Samuel 15: 22
Obey your parents – Read Proverbs 6:20
And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
2 John 1:6
In John 10:27: “My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow Me”
Personal thoughts:
Serving God is not a burden. Sometimes we spend more time on other things than listening to His voice.
We don’t read His word where all the love and truth we are looking for is written. We browse Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and all those time-consuming social media and sites instead of reading and meditating His word.
We listen to heartbreaking songs instead of worship songs. We don’t want to go to church because we have something ‘fun’ or ‘important’ to do than giving Him thanks and fellowshipping with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We don’t give our tithes and offering because we’re always short financially. While he gave us everything — everything we need.
An Option
If you will look around you, everyone is busy. Trying to achieve that height of success. I wonder how God feels. Of course, He is happy if we have achievements, when we reach our goals. I am sure He celebrates with us during those times. But I wonder how God feels., when we don’t include him in our success? I am even hurting now thinking about it. I am not him but when I think about it, If I were him, it must be really painful.
The God who gave up everything just to save us, a Father who gave His only Son for the sins of many, the one who never stops loving us even though we don’t think about him as we should. The One who remains faithful even when we are unfaithful. The God who still sees you as beautiful even when you can’t see yourself as He sees you, a Friend who you can rely on, who can comfort you. He is the same GOD we sometimes or always set aside. An option.
It breaks my heart writing all these words. Do not get me wrong. I am not writing this to judge you or condemn you. I am also still under construction, letting God mold me, correct me, rebuke me, and be that person He wants me to be. But let this be a reminder that God is still waiting for you, for me. It’s not too late to begin again.
Do everything in love and humility
Forget about yourself, your status, your position and we can look at ourselves as fairly loved by the one true God, our Father in Heaven. As we keep going, seeking to prioritize Him, remind yourself that God is looking for humble people in His service. He wants our humility.
Empty ourselves so we could be filled by Him. When we begin to be His follower, be aware of this and be reminded that Lucifer was a great worshiper. He was deceived by his own self. He thought that he can be as powerful as God. Let’s try our best not to be our old selves – who want to be always right, not wanting to be rebuked but instead wanting to be lifted up. God sees everything.
Do everything in love and humility.
Obedience matters in our Christian life. And it is better than sacrifice. He accepts our offerings but God looks to our hearts. He is looking for the ones who follow His command. I like the last verse, John 10:27. “My sheep know my voice, and I know them. They follow Me.”
I want to be one of those who know His voice, the one who follows Him even if sometimes I do not understand why just simply obey and trust His way.
A good servant is someone who is willing to sacrifice something or someone in exchange for God”s presence, the one who humbled Himself to serve others. A good servant is obedient no matter what it takes, no matter the situation, throughout every season in life – good or bad, happy or sad. Someone who will still stand and say, “I love you, Lord”
Jesus is the best example of a good servant. He came to the world not to be served but to serve. Follow Him wholeheartedly.
God bless you.
