To serve

One of the many challenges facing some church leadership today is to get people to serve in the church. Sometimes the problem is not getting people, but getting people to serve with the right attitude. We cannot have too many "Indian chiefs" or people who only want to be on the limelight. That may work well in the secular, but in the service of God, the standards are entirely different. As I was doing an introspection the Lord showed some areas of concern.

There are many qualities we can list in what we want to see in a team. But for a team to work in a spiritual setting, three qualities sets a person apart.

First is humility. In Acts 20:19, Paul says, "serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through  the plots of the Jews." If anyone could have boasted of his credentials. Apostle Paul is certainly one of them. Yet on many occasions, Paul calls himself a slave a bond-slave. His service to God was from that attitude. Peter in 1 Peter 4:10, encourages the believers to use their talents to serve each another. Such an effort can only be done through humility. Jesus himself humbled himself and took the towel. Today people want to take the pulpit, be in the limelight but very few want to take the towel. If we cannot come down from our high pedestals, the body cannot function as a unit, schisms will abound, slowing down growth and productivity. For the sake of the work of the Lord, lets not put self in the front, but be willing to put our reputations on the line so that God's name can be gloried. In Gal 6:2, Paul exhorts to "Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." That calls for taking the towel. Are you a towel bearer or are you a dignified bystander.

Secondly, passion. Whenever Jesus reached out to meet the needs of people – either one enslaved by sin (John 8:1-11; Mt 23:37), or one in an unfortunate situation, with infirmities or bereaved (Mt 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13) – He was moved by compassion from the Heart of His Father. Serving the Lord, in the church or anywhere else must be done with a heart of passion. Work done without passion results in a lack of focus, lack of direction and a lackluster performance. Work done with passion results in transformation, growth and advancement. If you lack passion, ask the Lord to fill you with the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Thirdly the worker needs commitment. Joshua 24:14 - "Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness." A worker without commitment, will be the one who will  perpetually complain, stifle growth and cause tension. Without commitment, you cannot serve. A plant will be healthier if the diseased part are pruned away. Likewise a team with uncommitted workers, will be a destroy rather than edify. When Elijah called Elisha, the latter killed the cows and burnt them with the tools of his trade. No turning back. That called a total commitment. If you have no commitment to what you have been assigned, rather abdicate than be a hindrance. Many times we fail to realize that it was God who put us in certain office or responsibility.  This lack of knowledge sometimes causes us to slacken, thinking we are serving man. But if you are serious about fulfilling the task and responsibilities given to you by God, then we better show commitment to what we are doing.

If everyone in the team catches this truth ad seeks God in prayer, God will do the rest. Amen.