What comes to your mind when you think of serving others? Work? A hassle? Praise?
This past Sunday I was up earlier than usual to complete something I had volunteered for. I was feeling a little annoyed because Sunday mornings tend to be a little hectic at our house. I have to get 3 people ready for church (me, Sheridan and Jordan), and make breakfast. On the other hand, my husband is only responsible for getting himself ready, and this had been irritating me. As I completed my task, I was thinking about serving others. I usually love to serve, especially within the body of Christ. However, as I have examined my own heart lately, I have realized an awful truth. I enjoy serving partly because I receive recognition from others. Ouch!
This realization led me to wonder how Christ wants us to serve others, and how He served while on earth. As I thought about this, I came to a conclusion: serving others means a sacrifice on our part. Jesus sacrificed something each time He served others, and that is usually required on our part as well. What do we sacrifice though? Time? Money? Effort? As I prayed about it, I realized that God was telling me that part of my sacrifice in serving is giving up the recognition of man, and exchanging that for recognition from God. His recognition should be enough for me! What a wonderful moment right? God had revealed to me that serving equals sacrifice and that I should sacrifice the glory from men, for the satisfaction of my saviour.
Well, you may already know this, but God has a wonderful sense of humor. As I pondered these truths that morning, my husband was snug as a bug in a rug in bed! I was a little annoyed! Why didn't he help me more on Sunday mornings? Why could he lay in bed later? As the morning progressed, I realized that because I had gotten up earlier, and had more time, that our morning went much smoother and we had plenty of time to get ready without the hussle and bussle that we normally face on Sundays. I suddenly realized, that if I sacrificed my extra sleep on Sunday mornings, as part of my service to my husband and family, that things ran much smoother! Instead of asking my husband to serve me more, God was showing me that if I served HIM more, things went better. I had to laugh!!! Serving means sacrifice on our part. Whether we sacrifice our sleep, time, money or whatever, in order to serve we are going to have to sacrifice something! I needed to turn my attention to myself and ask how I could serve more, rather than directing that to my husband and asking him to serve me more.
How can you serve others today? What can you sacrifice in order to better meet the needs of others?
This past Sunday I was up earlier than usual to complete something I had volunteered for. I was feeling a little annoyed because Sunday mornings tend to be a little hectic at our house. I have to get 3 people ready for church (me, Sheridan and Jordan), and make breakfast. On the other hand, my husband is only responsible for getting himself ready, and this had been irritating me. As I completed my task, I was thinking about serving others. I usually love to serve, especially within the body of Christ. However, as I have examined my own heart lately, I have realized an awful truth. I enjoy serving partly because I receive recognition from others. Ouch!
This realization led me to wonder how Christ wants us to serve others, and how He served while on earth. As I thought about this, I came to a conclusion: serving others means a sacrifice on our part. Jesus sacrificed something each time He served others, and that is usually required on our part as well. What do we sacrifice though? Time? Money? Effort? As I prayed about it, I realized that God was telling me that part of my sacrifice in serving is giving up the recognition of man, and exchanging that for recognition from God. His recognition should be enough for me! What a wonderful moment right? God had revealed to me that serving equals sacrifice and that I should sacrifice the glory from men, for the satisfaction of my saviour.
Well, you may already know this, but God has a wonderful sense of humor. As I pondered these truths that morning, my husband was snug as a bug in a rug in bed! I was a little annoyed! Why didn't he help me more on Sunday mornings? Why could he lay in bed later? As the morning progressed, I realized that because I had gotten up earlier, and had more time, that our morning went much smoother and we had plenty of time to get ready without the hussle and bussle that we normally face on Sundays. I suddenly realized, that if I sacrificed my extra sleep on Sunday mornings, as part of my service to my husband and family, that things ran much smoother! Instead of asking my husband to serve me more, God was showing me that if I served HIM more, things went better. I had to laugh!!! Serving means sacrifice on our part. Whether we sacrifice our sleep, time, money or whatever, in order to serve we are going to have to sacrifice something! I needed to turn my attention to myself and ask how I could serve more, rather than directing that to my husband and asking him to serve me more.
How can you serve others today? What can you sacrifice in order to better meet the needs of others?
