A Strong Servant of God, Part II Print Page By Charles F. Stanley One of the best indications that someone has a strong Christian life is whether he is serving God and others. Unfortunately, people can deceive themselves into thinking they are serving God when, in reality, they are serving their own agendas. For instance, someone may work on a church staff or they may hold a volunteer position within the congregation. In either case, they find great power or prestige by serving in a leadership role. Their motivation is to gain the admiration of others, power and influence, or a chance to be promoted. Outwardly, they serve the Lord—and with great success—but inwardly, they are seeking to advance themselves. They fool themselves and others into thinking they are humbly serving God. Unfortunately, when service is done for selfish motives, God sees it as nothing more than wood, hay, and stubble—things that will be consumed by fire on the Day of Judgment (1 Cor. 3:12-13). People who have served themselves will have nothing to show the Lord when they stand before Him. That’s the reason wise people will examine themselves to make sure they are truly serving God, not themselves. How do you know when you are serving God with proper intentions? When your primary concern is the needs of others, the glory of God, or the work of the kingdom. If you decide to serve because you want to help people who are hurting, you are probably serving God. If you are motivated to bring glory to the name of Jesus, you are most likely within His will. And those who seek to advance God’s kingdom (rather than to raise their standing within a community) are almost certainly serving God instead of themselves. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” When you are willing to make necessary adjustments to your personal life. Serving God often calls for sacrifice. And as His servants, we don’t have the right to tell God what we will or will not do. If we refuse to obey, we are being rebellious servants. If we try to manipulate our circumstances, or work around His commands, we are being disobedient. Even if He gives us something difficult, we should trust Him to do it through us in His power. We can pray something like this: “Lord, I don’t think I’m capable of that, but I’m willing to do it. Please give me the strength I need.” Scripture says we cannot serve God and ourselves at the same time. Luke 16:13 says, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The principle is that it’s impossible to truly serve God and anything else. This passage is specifically about finances, but the concept is true in other areas of our lives as well. Many times, “self” is a bigger problem than money. We supposedly serve God, but in reality, we are serving ourselves. One way to tell if you truly are serving God is if you are willing to adjust your personal life to obey Him. Serving Him should be about what He wants, when He chooses, and where He leads—even if it feels uncomfortable or inconvenient. When we are operating in a spirit of humility, we know we are serving God. First Peter 5:5 says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Humility doesn’t mean you are weak. In the biblical sense, it means you are strong enough and wise enough to yield to the awesome hand of God. It also means you don’t think more highly of yourself than you should. Instead of considering what position you hold, view yourself as the servant of God. Guard against becoming prideful. Be careful not to plan for your promotion before God desires to grant it. Scripture says “He will exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:6). Patiently serve where God has led you and trust Him to open the door for greater opportunities if and when He desires. How do you know when you are probably NOT serving God with pure motives? You are more concerned about other people’s opinions than about what God thinks of you. Carefully examine yourself to see if you are serving primarily to seek the acceptance, admiration, or recommendation of others. You are constantly seeking compliments or expressed appreciation. If you are continually seeking applause and praise, your focus is in the wrong place. Any time you are tempted to boast or seek affirmation from people, remember that God is the source of all your skills, talents, and abilities. Only His continued grace allows you to be a blessing to others. And from the Lord’s perspective, no believer can claim any glory or credit. We are merely participating in the work He is already doing on the earth. You seek something of value from the people you are supposedly serving. Don’t help someone and then expect him to do you favors, pay you back, or promote you in some way. God’s servants should not profit from those they serve. In order for us to be spiritually fruitful, we must die to the desire of running our lives independent of God’s leadership. When you and I are willing to turn away from our self-centeredness and give ourselves to the living Lord, we will begin to bear spiritual fruit. Genuine service to God may be costly, but the reward in eternity is certainly worth it. For Part I of this study, read "A Strong Servant of God, Part I."
Posted on: Sun, 22 Sep 2013 12:18:43 +0000
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