Written by Evi Idoghor
I have been thinking a lot about service. My desire to give back to my community grows exponentially each day. I am constantly inundated with the desire seen in the eyes of humanity to be truly loved, validated, and provided for—people are in search of those who can rescue them from the harsh realities they are confronted with on a daily basis.
I am no superman or Wonder Woman, who can change their lives with the blink of an eye, however, the Bible has a lot of opinions when it comes to the topic of service. In fact, it equates service to greatness. This topic is of enormous significance, so much so that one day Jesus had to sit his disciples down to explain this concept to them.
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. " —Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus came to serve humanity, which is why they did not understand it when he insisted that he washed their feet (John 13:5). He advised that whoever wanted to be great, had to be first a servant. Sometimes we might wonder why we have to serve certain people or work in a specific department where we are not recognized. We sometimes crave this grand life devoid of service, rather wanting to be served, yet throughout scripture God is painting a picture of greatness as one replete with service.
Another thing I found in the Bible that struck a chord with me, is this quote—"David after he served his generation, went to rest with his fathers." I was blown away by that statement. It said served and not ruled. He was a king for a purpose, he didn't lord his position over Israel. He sought wise counsel when he needed it, and cried out to God for help when he needed to. He worked alongside the people that were on his team, to bring to life the vision God had for Israel.
Wherever he stopped, his son Solomon took over. That is the same thing God is requiring from Christians today—service. God has a unique call on each of our lives, and He wants us to bring His vision to life, in the areas He has called us to. Are you helping out where you are? Are you being honorable and respectful to your boss? Are you serving in a department at a church where everyone is running away from? Are you caring for the people around you who can't care for themselves? Or are you working hard to bring a vision to life, so you can cater to more people?
God is watching our every move to see if we are doing the things He has called us to do and if we are being of service to others. I remember how I was spread thin when I worked in the children's department at my old church. My work also spilled outside the four walls of the church, taking care of the pastors kids whenever they required the help.
If someone canceled, I was the one they called. And if there was a special service going on; I was the one they scheduled to work those days.
Some days, I wanted to quit, because I was sick of changing diapers, and sick of children being rude to me. However, God's word would come up in strange ways, nudging me to keep going. It was sometimes through an old caucasian woman, who saw a black girl with an accent, running after two little white kids, saying to me—God bless you; the job you are doing is a significant one.
Or while I was busy changing a child’s diaper, wearing a frown because the child had the runs, then the child says to me ‘thank you miss Evi.’ And immediately that upside-down smile becomes right-side up. Sometimes His words of encouragement came through television, while vegetales was on for the children.
One day, a character from the show quoted Colossians 3:23, after an incident occurred: ‘And whatever you do, do it heartily to the Lord and not to men.' As such, all my frustration went out the window because I knew that my God saw me at that moment and consoled me with the fact that what I was doing wasn't for people, but for Him.
That is why it was difficult for me to quit, because while I was busy serving others, I was ultimately serving Christ.
‘I will tell you the truth, whenever you did one of these things (fed the needy, gave room to the homeless, clothed those who needed it, visited those in the hospital and in prison) to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me; you did it to me.’ Jesus
The quote above is everything! It perfectly depicts the Father's heart. It also shows us that God has called everyone to be their brother's keeper. If you recognize a need, ask how you can be of service. Volunteer with organizations and churches to help those in need. Work hard so you can have plenty left over to share with others. Learn to put a smile on people's faces wherever you go. Pay attention to the people who are reaching out to you and asking for assistance, the Bible encourages us not to turn away from them (Proverbs 3:28).
I know as an individual that it is impossible for me to help everyone in need, but I can help someone, and so can you. If we assist those in need in whatever capacity we can, in a way, we empower them to do same for others; it is a ripple effect. The book of Corinthians says that when we take our gifts to them, they will pray for us with fervency, and also it will result in many thanksgivings to God because He hasn't forgotten about them.
You can also serve through prayers. If you see that someone is dealing with grief, fear, lack, anxiety, or you hear of those who are trapped in one form of captivity or the other, pray fervently for them.
Your prayers will make them stronger and renew their hope, thus, when they are released from whatever dire circumstance they were faced with, they will know that they were not forsaken by God, because of those who were committed to them through prayer and will give Him all the glory.
So, don’t be wrapped up in your head about your own life, that you fail to see what is going on around you. You were created for so much more, you were created for service, and you were created for greatness. Use your gifts to bring glory to God and add value to the lives of those around you.
Hope you enjoyed this inspirational article, which is a call to service. Add to the conversation, what does service mean to you? Remember to comment below.
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