Michael continues: The question is, whom do you serve? The world teaches us to serve ourselves … to look out for number one. However Jesus said, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. The kingdom of “self” is heavily defended territory. However, Jesus said, you need to die to self in order to live to serve me. According to Galatians 2:20, “For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Without loving God above all, we cannot serve faithfully for believing faith works in love. The love of God activates believing faith that sustains the energy that appropriates the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purpose.
The world creates “works-based” systems to get people to follow worldly leaders. The church prioritizes attending, spending, and sending. These are “works based priorities”. In other words, attend regularly, give generously, and serve diligently. It’s one thing to work as long as the work is motivated by the love of God. However if the work is the purpose, it will profit me nothing. This is the theme of 1 Corinthians 13: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity (The Love of God,) it profits me nothing.”
The great commandment upon which “hang all the law and the prophets” is: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind … and the second is like it: thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Why did God say to love Him above all? CS Lewis asked this question. Is God so egotistical that He demands our worship, praise, love, honor and glorification? No. Serving God is the nature of the Spirit of life in Christ, not the sin nature of our flesh. My fallen nature is to serve myself. The world indoctrinates us to ask, what’s in it for me? This “WIFM” paradigm doesn’t miss anything except the entire boat. Jesus said to his disciples, get on board with me and we’ll go over to the other side. To serve the Lord is to obey His word from a heart of love.
Serving the Lord is believing faith that works in love. This must be our core motive. The greatest blessing is not in seeking the blessings but in seeking to bless the Blessor; in loving God above all. For what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve from a heart of love that we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace.
Your bother in Christ, Michael
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