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Serving With Dignity and Delight: Jesus, the Good Master of our house has literally entrusted His reputation to us as His servant. We must learn to traffic in the joy of serving others with dignity and delight, so we don't become a stumbling block to those who seek Him. The attitude of a servant determines the atmoshpere of the palace. The body of Christ or church pews are filled with Christians who say they are "serving the Lord", however, they don't give a second thought for the cost or the lost. They don't understand the concept that the "customer" who walks in the door of God's House is hungering for deliverance and thirsting for righeousness each week, they are broken, miserable and needing help with their daily adversities and life challenges: the is purpose behind it all. Servants in biblical times often understood that it is not enough just to die to the flesh; but they must die with dignity. Servanthood forces us to continuously die to our flesh, to our pride and to our own wishes and self-agenda. It is the cross of Christ delivered to our door-the court summons served on a daily basis. If we become servants at all, we tend to do it while hiding behind the cloak of arrogance. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.You cannot serve God and mammon" Matthew 6:24 (NKJV).
True servanthood knows that they must sometimes is nakedness or transparency that servanthood requires can be embarrassing. If we intend to obey God's call to servanthood, then at some point you must stop trying to hide your deformities and simply become who you are. Servant living will be rewarded in the future. One of the hindrances to servant living is man’s impatience and his desire to be served now! Therefore, one of the keys to effective service is faith and constant orientation with the weight of eternity. "Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal" 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV).
Greatness in God’s kingdom is never to be found in position or power or in the praise and opinions of men, but in servant-like service to others. We see again that one of the greatest hindrances to service or servant living is the desire for some form of exaltation—position, praise, prestige, and power. Those who take the secular route so typical of the world and who exalt themselves will eventually be humbled. They will not only eventually lose the very status they seek, but if they are believers, they will also lose rewards in the kingdom.We are called to say "I'm just a servant, how can I help?""You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him" Deuteronomy 13:4 (NKJV). The fundamental issue in living as servants, as those committed to meeting the needs of others, is a deep down humility that is willing to pick up the servant’s towel regardless of one’s status or station in life. No matter what one’s station or condition in life, whether king or peasant, slave or free, rich or poor, strong or weak, brilliant or slow of mind, nobleman or common, etc., in Christ God calls all Christians to live as servants serving others with the Lord Jesus as the perfect example of One who, though God of very God, took upon Himself “the form of a servant.” "As we look ahead into the next century, leaders will be those who empower others" ~ Bill Gates. In seeking to develop a servant’s heart, Christians naturally face the opposing forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil, all of which are directed toward promoting selfish concerns and especially the pursuit of significance. Even when engaged in religious or humanitarian works, selfish pursuits can so easily come to the surface.
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