And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)
Whats in it for me?
How many times have you heard this over your lifetime? Even if you havent heard those exact words, you can tell when a persons countenance reflects this type of attitude. It is not uncommon for people to want something in return for something given. And sadly it can be the same way in ministry. There are those who have been blessed with so much in the way of possessions, talents, or time, and yet they choose not to tithe these things, which have been given so freely by the Lord.
As Christians, we are all called to the ministry. Many people have a hard time grasping this. But its true! God has a specific place to serve for each and every person who has accepted His Son as Lord and Savior.
Each unique facet of our personality and individual makeup are used in a perfect combination by God, as long as we are focusing on what He wants for our life, and were willing to submit to Him and His will.
Submission is an easy word to sling around, but it can be really hard to do at times; especially in our jobs. We can be okay with it at one point, until someone with a quirky personality or an authority complex comes along and wants to lord over us. And then suddenly, its like a switch flips and we instantly justify our actions, telling ourselves, Im not submitting to this person, they have serious issues.
I think what happens during these times is really fairly easy to do, because we simply forget who we are doing this for, and the reason why we chose to do it. Thats right! Weve lost the real reason why we should be giving it our all, and having a great attitude in the process. It isnt for the boss we work for, or for the paycheck we receive. It isnt even for the pat on the back we might receive for serving others at Church.
We do it for the Lord. We do it because He first loved us, and died for us. This is why we share what we have to offer in ministry opportunities with others. And we are blessed by our being involved in Gods ministry. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we also have an inheritance waiting!
&giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:12-13 (NKJV)
We can glean (5) benefits from Colossians 1:12-13, which we have been given by God because of our relationship to Jesus Christ. I will list them below, along with an additional scripture reference for proof text.
1.God has made us qualified to share His inheritance
(2 Cor 5:21).
2.God has rescued us from Satans dominion of darkness and made us His children (Col 2:15).
3.God has brought us into His eternal Kingdom (Eph 1:5, 6).
4.God has redeemed us-purchased our freedom from sin, and judgment (Heb. 9:12).
5.God has forgiven us of all of our sins (Eph 1:7).
When we remember what has been given unto us, and whom it is, weve received it from, we will also remember it is no longer people we serve, but the Lord Almighty. And because we know this, our most menial, boring and tedious jobs are transformed into great works, full of integrity.
Hey Christian, the Kingdom of God is not just in Heaven, it is all around us. It is in our homes. It is in our place of business. It is in virtually everything, which makes up our life.
When we, as Christians, can fully understand just how much God loves us by His free gift of unmerited favor upon our lives, only then, will we have the proper foundation for understanding our purpose. And this purpose is for allowing God to build a personal ministry within our lives, while faithfully serving others. As we imitate Jesus, we glorify His name.
STUDY QUESTION: Why do we serve others, and with what perspective should we be serving?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: What is your motive for working and giving to others? Have you found yourself disappointed when your efforts were not acknowledged?
APPLICATION: Focus on doing everything as if youre doing it for God. You will be rewarded because your attitude will reflect the fact you know whom youre really serving.
Whats in it for me?
How many times have you heard this over your lifetime? Even if you havent heard those exact words, you can tell when a persons countenance reflects this type of attitude. It is not uncommon for people to want something in return for something given. And sadly it can be the same way in ministry. There are those who have been blessed with so much in the way of possessions, talents, or time, and yet they choose not to tithe these things, which have been given so freely by the Lord.
As Christians, we are all called to the ministry. Many people have a hard time grasping this. But its true! God has a specific place to serve for each and every person who has accepted His Son as Lord and Savior.
Each unique facet of our personality and individual makeup are used in a perfect combination by God, as long as we are focusing on what He wants for our life, and were willing to submit to Him and His will.
Submission is an easy word to sling around, but it can be really hard to do at times; especially in our jobs. We can be okay with it at one point, until someone with a quirky personality or an authority complex comes along and wants to lord over us. And then suddenly, its like a switch flips and we instantly justify our actions, telling ourselves, Im not submitting to this person, they have serious issues.
I think what happens during these times is really fairly easy to do, because we simply forget who we are doing this for, and the reason why we chose to do it. Thats right! Weve lost the real reason why we should be giving it our all, and having a great attitude in the process. It isnt for the boss we work for, or for the paycheck we receive. It isnt even for the pat on the back we might receive for serving others at Church.
We do it for the Lord. We do it because He first loved us, and died for us. This is why we share what we have to offer in ministry opportunities with others. And we are blessed by our being involved in Gods ministry. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, we also have an inheritance waiting!
&giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, Colossians 1:12-13 (NKJV)
We can glean (5) benefits from Colossians 1:12-13, which we have been given by God because of our relationship to Jesus Christ. I will list them below, along with an additional scripture reference for proof text.
1.God has made us qualified to share His inheritance
(2 Cor 5:21).
2.God has rescued us from Satans dominion of darkness and made us His children (Col 2:15).
3.God has brought us into His eternal Kingdom (Eph 1:5, 6).
4.God has redeemed us-purchased our freedom from sin, and judgment (Heb. 9:12).
5.God has forgiven us of all of our sins (Eph 1:7).
When we remember what has been given unto us, and whom it is, weve received it from, we will also remember it is no longer people we serve, but the Lord Almighty. And because we know this, our most menial, boring and tedious jobs are transformed into great works, full of integrity.
Hey Christian, the Kingdom of God is not just in Heaven, it is all around us. It is in our homes. It is in our place of business. It is in virtually everything, which makes up our life.
When we, as Christians, can fully understand just how much God loves us by His free gift of unmerited favor upon our lives, only then, will we have the proper foundation for understanding our purpose. And this purpose is for allowing God to build a personal ministry within our lives, while faithfully serving others. As we imitate Jesus, we glorify His name.
STUDY QUESTION: Why do we serve others, and with what perspective should we be serving?
PERSONAL INVENTORY: What is your motive for working and giving to others? Have you found yourself disappointed when your efforts were not acknowledged?
APPLICATION: Focus on doing everything as if youre doing it for God. You will be rewarded because your attitude will reflect the fact you know whom youre really serving.
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