Enabled to Serve
Philippians 2:1-11
"...think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you...We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is...serving, let him serve."
(Romans 12:3, 6-7)
God's grace not only saves and provides forgiveness; it also enables us to live as He has called us to live.
Every believer is the recipient of a measure of faith to express the dimension of God's manifold grace given to him or her. Did you realize that the ability to serve is a gift of grace? We may express the grace of God by performing practical acts of support and assistance to others. You may be expressing the life and love of God through baking and cleaning or repairing and doing maintenance!
Servers are hardly ever "in the limelight." They may even be under-appreciated and therefore tempted not to serve. But what is Paul's exhortation? "Serve." In light of God's mercy, serve. It is your gift of grace to the rest of the body of Christ.
In serving we find joy. Christ's love for us enables us to serve others. How fitting, since our Savior who served us ultimately by giving His very life for us, did it all for the joy set before Him. That joy is you and I!
INSIGHT
God's church is an organic body with many members: hands, ears, mouths, etc. Hands don't speak but perform the necessary actions to maintain the body.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 59-60
Psalm 100
Acts 23
Philippians 2:1-11
Imitating Christ’s Humility
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
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