Learning to Serve

Monday, June 17, 2013 Posted by Unknown

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And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."

There was a time when I seemed to interpret being "servant of all" as meaning I had to do "all the serving." What I know now is that, if I'd continued at that pace, it would have left me burned-out, embattled, bitter and ready to stop serving altogether.

It's a dangerous place to be, and perhaps you've been there too. It's easy to see all the things that need to be done (especially in the church) and assume you're the man for all the jobs.

That was the old me.

Then, thankfully, I learned something. In a fit of frustration, I asked the Lord what He was calling me to do--in this life, in the church, for the kingdom. I can't say whether the answer came quickly, but once it came, it completely changed things for me. Now, when I'm asked to serve, or I see a need, I filter it through the answer He gave me. If it doesn't fit, I say no. No guilt. No condemnation. No second-guessing.

Of course there have been times when an opportunity didn't seem to fit but I believed the Lord was leading me to say yes. It hasn't happened often, but when it has, I've seen the Lord's hand in it all the way. I have never felt free-er to serve or more blessed in serving than I have since learning this. Need this lesson as badly as I did? There's an empty seat in the classroom and it's waiting for you.




imageAnitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.