Are you here to serve, or to be served?

One of the trends among Christians today is that they expect Jesus to be there to serve them, and the truth of the matter is that their expectations couldn’t be the furthest thing from what Jesus wants.

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35

If you truly love the L0rd, you’ll strive to have a heart like His. His passion for serving and sacrificing for others. A strong relationship with Him isn’t about what’s in it for us, but what we can do for others. I mean if you look at His life, you’ll see that not only did He humble Himself by stepping down from His Kingdom, but He showed a complete and total humility by serving others, and dying on the cross for those who had sinned against Him in the first place. He never focused on the problems that He was going through but instead kept His sight on what He could do to save others.

Take time out today to do something for someone else. If you’re going through tough times, like so many of us are, then take a break from your worries and help someone else who may be in need. You’ll be surprised at how theraputic helping someone else can be. But more importantly you’ll be even more surprised at how much you’ll impress and gain the favor of the one we should alsways be trying to, and His name is Jesus.

I pray today that we all can learn to follow the example of Jesus and to become servants. I pray that the Lord will put someone in our path that will stretch our faith and teach us humility and patience. I pray today that we all can clear the hurdles in life and help each other as we are called to do. But most of all, I pray that we can all become more Christ-like and bring someone else to the full knowledge of Jesus.

Prayer…it dosn’t work unless you come clean.

When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses– Mark 11:25

The only way any prayer is ever heard is through the righteous intercession of Jesus Christ. Yet it is Jesus who here reminds us that successful prayers are accompanied by holy lives.

If you have anything against any one, Jesus says, forgive them from your heart before you seek to pray to your heavenly Father. Do not think about asking ask for  forgiveness that you are not yourself willing to give to others.

We get this insightful view of prayer, then, from Jesus himself — your prayer life is both indestructible and delicate, it is both independent of your actions and yet influenced by the decisions you make.

You see, the access we have to God through Jesus Christ is based entirely on his goodness, not your own. For this reason, you can always pray to God, come boldly to God, when you are clinging to the perfect and sufficient work of Christ on your behalf.

On the other hand, scripture is very clear that our way of life — what we do and fail to do — will greatly influence our communion with God. Paul tells husbands to honor and cherish their wives “that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:7). Jesus warns not to even bother praying if we are harboring resentment or bitterness or unforgiveness in our hearts.

Today, then, dear believer, go boldly in Christ’s name to the throne of grace, and freely love and forgive others so that your prayers are not hindered.

Are you a member of the Secret Service?

Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward– Mark 9:41

We often look for the big, splashy acts of service or devotion by which we can prove our love for God. But Jesus says even the smallest act of service in his name is never missed, will never go unrewarded by God.

Genuine Christian service can be as simple and practical and otherwise forgettable as giving a thirsty person a cup of water to drink. The person themselves might forget you brought them the water; you may forget the service the moment after you render it (Matthew 25:37); but God will not forget it.

Most Christians are not required to be martyred for their faith, or to be tortured for the sake of Christ. But every Christian is required to die daily to self, to think of others and how the kingdom of God can be served in even the smallest way.

Are there widows in your church whom you could encourage with a visit or phone call? Is there a brother or sister in Christ who has some physical or financial need with which you could help? Is there a young person in your church who just needs a little attention and direction in order to overcome personal insecurities or pressures from peers?

The one who is willing to anonymously serve in the kingdom of Christ shall not lose his reward. Notice, Jesus didn’t just say he will receive a reward, but he shall not lose it! There are eternal blessings to each and every practical act of Christian service.