When I came across the statement “We have been saved to serve God”, it struck a chord in me, and prompted me to reflect on my life as a Christian.
During my first few years as a Christian, I never thought much about whether I should serve God in any way I could, and always gave excuses to ignore the call to service. Excuses such as “I don’t have the talent/ability”, “Wait till I am not working”, “I have no time and energy to take up the work”, “I have no confidence”, etc, etc. were always in my mind. The call to service was something of a nuisance, an inconvenience, and an expense – something to avoid.
Now that I reflect on my attitude and stance at that time, I realise that it could be due to my weakness in faith, my lack of knowledge of God’s Word and my worldly desires. As I started to learn and study God’s Word and know more about His will, I began to ponder about my spiritual state. I avoided the call to service because the call to sanctification had been ignored! If I desire to purify my spiritual life, the call to service is the opportunity to please God by offering something of myself in any way I can.
The fervour and dedication of the brethren who faithfully and diligently serve in the church also encourage and motivate me. I learned from them I must not procrastinate serving God – and even starting in small steps count! The wonderful part of serving is that closer bonds with the brethren develop as we work together for the glory of God.
Romans 12:6-8 tells us that each of us has different gifts which we can use for the glory of God:
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them; if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
So let us contemplate why we serve God:
We serve God in Christ because it is our natural response to His kindness and love in calling us out of the world.
We serve in order to build the Church and provide the resources to maintain the call of God to others.
As Brother Eddy preached in his sermon on 5 December 2021, “Security of the Christian”, we must SERVE WITH CONFIDENCE and NOT OUT OF FEAR.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.
Let’s resolve to be ready when the call to service is made:
Every time volunteers are called for.
Every time someone asks for help.
Every time you see a need and realise you have the resources to fill the need.
Every time you experience the encouragement of the brethren.
Every time you experience the urge of your own conscience to say “Here I Am Lord, send me”.
It pays to serve Jesus
It pays every day
It pays every step of the way
Though the pathway to glory may sometimes be drear
You’ll be happy each step of the way