Because we acknowledge Christ as our Saviour and Lord, we are called to be servants of God (Mark 10:44, Ephesians 6:7). In this service the Lord Himself is our supreme example (John 13:14, 1 John 2:6). Among His many titles is that of Servant (Acts 3:13, Philippians 2:7). He came into the world to do God’s will (John 4:34) and that involved, in His case, not only serving others but giving His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Before we can truly serve God we have to consecrate
ourselves unreservedly to the Lord (2 Corinthians 8:5). We must not try to avoid
this by just submitting acts of service and generosity in place of giving Him
ourselves. God wants the whole of us – our will, heart, body, mind and
faculties etc. We are to be His entirely and always at His disposal wherever He
has placed us (Romans 12:1,2, 1 Corinthians 6:19). In other words our initial
act of surrender is just the beginning of a life of surrender. The act must
become an attitude.
He must possess us so that He
can use us. “In response to the gift of a whole Christ, a man gives his whole
self to Him”.
Incomplete surrender leads to
spiritual weakness and loss of God’s blessing.
In giving ourselves to the Lord we also give all that we possess to Him, and we become just His stewards. So we hand over to Him our gifts and talents, our possessions, skills, qualifications, position, money, time and so on (Matthew 25:14-30, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4). All are to be used in His will and for His glory (Matthew 6:33, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Colossians 3:23).
As Christians we are new men and women (2 Corinthians
5:17). We are under a new authority, have new aims and motives, a new attitude
to others, daily work, home, honesty, and money. So we seek to serve God in
every sphere and do our work as to the Lord. This will mean doing our best and
working honestly and conscientiously. To have a good and dependable Christian
character is a powerful witness wherever we are.
We should not only live for Christ, but also speak for Him (Acts 1:8) and be willing to explain our faith to others (1 Peter 3:15). It is also important to encourage one another in Christian character and service (Hebrews 10:24). But unless the way we live matches what we say, we do more harm than good.
(a) The Church We are not
meant to be passengers but workers in the church to which we belong. We serve
God when we worship Him and work for Him wholeheartedly (Deuteronomy 4:29,
Matthew 4:10, John 4:24, Ephesians 6:5-7). We serve others in the church by
praying for them and helping to build them up (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), holding
office (Acts 6:3-7), and giving for the work of the Gospel (2 Corinthians 8:4,
9:6-8). We should also remember to be open to God’s call to what is often
called “full time service” at home or overseas (though of course in another
sense we are all in full time service).
(b) The home Being a
Christian should make all the difference to our family life. Whatever our
position in the family we have a duty to others (Ephesians 5:22-6:4). Homes
should be used in the service of the Gospel (Acts 12:12, Romans 16:3-5, Philemon
1,2). Hospitality is a very important means of spreading the Gospel and
strengthening the fellowship (Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:2, 1 Peter 4:9).
Christian homes are a tremendous support for a local church.
(c) Daily Work Daily work
is part of our Christian calling (Genesis 2:15, 1 Corinthians 7:20, 1 Thess.
4:11-12). By it we provide for ourselves and others (Ephesians 4:28, 1 Timothy
5:8). In choosing a career the Christian is not primarily concerned with money
or material advantage, but doing God’s will, using his opportunities to serve
in the light of his talents and ability.
(d) Our country Christians are citizens of two kingdoms – a heavenly kingdom and an earthly kingdom – and have a responsibility to both (Matthew 22:21). We are called to act as salt and light and to let our light shine before men that God may be glorified (Matthew 5:13-16). As far as it is consistent with our Christian principles, we should play our part in the community and try to influence it for Christ. But if there is a clash of interests, our loyalty to God must always come first (Acts 5:29).
