My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13 (NIV)
In part I of this series of devotionals on being a Christian servant, we examined the scriptures to see that it is God that we serve first and foremost. And we learned what the LORD our God requires of us as Christians: But to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
So in this devotional we are going to look at why we serve the Lord and others. What is our motive or basis for this selfless act? Why would we forgo serving ourselves, but instead consider others more important?
The simple answer to these questions is love.
We serve, and do for others because we are serving the Lord in love.
And we have learned this from God, because no greater example can be given to us with regards to serving and loving others, than Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to this earth and lived as a human in body form and He took on the role of a servant. We dont see Him being glorified or given the great respect and honor that was due the Savior of the world. We see Him humbly serving others.
The Apostle Paul when speaking to the Philippians, spoke to them using Jesus as the supreme example.
He said, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name..
And Jesus told us in John 15:
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Fathers commands and remain in his love. John 15:9 (NIV)
So Jesus showed His love for His father by obeying His fathers commands, and serving mankind, and He did this to show and demonstrate love. He asks us to do the same by obeying His commands. And He tells us that we will remain in His love if we do. We are told in Ephesians 5:1, that we are to be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And we are to live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
So, there is only one way to imitate Jesus life of a servant, and that is to lay down our own desires and follow Jesus, and His ways daily.
&If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NIV)
This means that we serve God first, and we serve Him in love. And we do this by considering others better, and laying our lives down for them. This is the life of Christ. This is our way of being Christ-like. This is Christianity!
Take heart today Christian, because God wants to love others through you. He is love, and His love can flow to others through each of our lives if we simply invite Him to use us in serving others.
STUDY QUESTION: According to John 15, how do we remain in Jesus love?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to serve others in love? Will you let God use you today?
APPLICATION: Ask God today to show you what He would want you to do for others. Ask Him to allow you to serve in various capacities. Get involved in your local church, and start helping meet the needs of the body. There is no better way to love others than to serve.
In part I of this series of devotionals on being a Christian servant, we examined the scriptures to see that it is God that we serve first and foremost. And we learned what the LORD our God requires of us as Christians: But to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
So in this devotional we are going to look at why we serve the Lord and others. What is our motive or basis for this selfless act? Why would we forgo serving ourselves, but instead consider others more important?
The simple answer to these questions is love.
We serve, and do for others because we are serving the Lord in love.
And we have learned this from God, because no greater example can be given to us with regards to serving and loving others, than Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to this earth and lived as a human in body form and He took on the role of a servant. We dont see Him being glorified or given the great respect and honor that was due the Savior of the world. We see Him humbly serving others.
The Apostle Paul when speaking to the Philippians, spoke to them using Jesus as the supreme example.
He said, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name..
And Jesus told us in John 15:
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Fathers commands and remain in his love. John 15:9 (NIV)
So Jesus showed His love for His father by obeying His fathers commands, and serving mankind, and He did this to show and demonstrate love. He asks us to do the same by obeying His commands. And He tells us that we will remain in His love if we do. We are told in Ephesians 5:1, that we are to be imitators of God, as dearly loved children. And we are to live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
So, there is only one way to imitate Jesus life of a servant, and that is to lay down our own desires and follow Jesus, and His ways daily.
&If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (NIV)
This means that we serve God first, and we serve Him in love. And we do this by considering others better, and laying our lives down for them. This is the life of Christ. This is our way of being Christ-like. This is Christianity!
Take heart today Christian, because God wants to love others through you. He is love, and His love can flow to others through each of our lives if we simply invite Him to use us in serving others.
STUDY QUESTION: According to John 15, how do we remain in Jesus love?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to serve others in love? Will you let God use you today?
APPLICATION: Ask God today to show you what He would want you to do for others. Ask Him to allow you to serve in various capacities. Get involved in your local church, and start helping meet the needs of the body. There is no better way to love others than to serve.
No comments:
Post a Comment