1.31.2011

Who Do You Serve?

OK- something new, just going a touch deeper than cleaning supplies today :)- hope it is a blessing to you- (you will see where my mind is at the end!)                                                                                                           


I have been thinking a lot about service lately, Joshua 24 says “then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. It seems that the Lord continues to work on me in two areas; service and humility (there are SO many others, but these are consistent)! The more he works on those virtues in me, the more I realize you cannot have one without the other. Until I became a wife and mother, I did not truly understand what it means to practice these virtues on a minute-by-minute basis. The minute I said "I do" all of the sudden, a Nuclear Bomb of humility and service exploded in my life and it is as if I have no choice but to be humble and serve my family. As I think about that verse, I get to wake up every day and choose THIS day whom I will serve. I have chosen to serve Jesus Christ and I have found so much freedom in serving my God alone. When I make this choice, I don’t have to worry about receiving earthly recognition for my service, the one whom I serve notices every detail of my service (folding towels, cooking, cleaning up SICK kid stuff, God knows it ALL!!).  I can freely serve others without the looming bitterness of needing my deeds to be noticed or appreciated.  Ephesians 6:7 says, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men”, there is so much freedom in serving the One who will never take advantage of me, never ask too much of me and knows the condition of my heart and the intentions behind my service.  Serving God is also freedom from myself, I don’t have to take myself so seriously or worry about making myself “appear to be” someone who is worthy to be served. I have done a lot of “self serving” in the past and the only thing that leads to is disappointment and regret- I am so blessed to have received freedom from myself! The last part of that scripture in Joshua is “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”, we are called to raise our children to a life of service to the Lord. I want to teach my children to serve from the heart, to notice the needs of others and serve them as an “expression of thanks to God”. I love 2 Corinthians 9:12-13, “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.” I am excited to find little ways each day to teach my girls what service is and whom to serve! We are so abundantly blessed by God, I want to make sure I am serving with a grateful and joyful heart in all that I do, and choosing THIS day to serve the Lord. 
JM SIDE NOTE: I can say that I definitely do not make the right choice of whom to serve every day, I often forget who I am serving and the flesh wins, but I also know-when I choose correctly, the day is immeasurably better- Freedom! 


Behind the Scenes: As I sit here on my computer, I am preparing for the "worst snow storm of the year" apparently a blizzard is coming and we will be in the house for a while- and I am here with 5 kids- (5 years and under) + 1 large dog (2 nephews, 1 niece and 1 dog nephew are staying with me) and my husband has the flu- so as I get ready to settle in on my little couch to sleep (way to germ-a-phob for the bedroom tonight!)- I am thinking that I will have plenty of opportunities to serve wholeheartedly and find joy in serving others this week, dont you think?! I Love when I have the opportunity to practice what I preach! 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...