Day 7: You Serving

“If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” John 12:26

Far too many people come into a relationship with Jesus Christ not wanting to serve but rather wanting to get more from Him. We’ve already received Jesus. We don’t serve God to get more from Him. We serve Him because He first served us.

In 2 Kings, chapter 4, there’s a story of a Shunammite woman who was well-to-do. She made a guest room in her house for when the great prophet Elijah came around to have a place to stay. One day Elisha is stirring for affection for this woman. He says to her, “You have gone to all this trouble. Now, what can be done for you?” I love this story because she didn’t build the room so that Elisha would do something for her one day. Elisha didn’t ask her what he could do for her because he had to. They both genuinely wanted to serve the other person. Eventually, Elisha would give her the good news that in a year, she would be holding her very first child, a newborn son, in her arms.

Just like the Shunammite woman, when we serve others, we give God room to move. We can’t make God move, but we can make room for God to move.

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

While the motivation behind serving God is not to get more from Him, what’s impressive is that we always do! Elisha isn’t satisfied just to let this woman go to such great lengths without blessing her life. God is still like that today. Elisha was lying on that bed, thinking, scheming, and dreaming about a way to bless this woman. Isn’t that a perspective-changing, paradigm-shifting way to look at God? What if God’s planning and dreaming in His heart about how He wants to bless you?

When we serve, we change others’ lives for the better. Only the Holy Spirit can save someone and bring dead bones to life. But, amazingly, the Holy Spirit now lives inside all those that believe in Him.

Jesus says these powerful words in Matthew 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

And if the Holy Spirit is in us, then that means He can use someone like you and someone like me to help save someone else. While serving others won’t save you, your good works can help save someone else!

Challenge

Using your unique talents, skills, or resources, serve by doing “good work” today. Share about your experience on social media using #RedLetterChallenge