There’s an old hymn, Living for Jesus by Thomas O Chisholm that begins like this:
Living for Jesus, a life that is true,
Striving to please Him in all that I do;
Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free,
This is the pathway of blessing for me.
When I think of living for Jesus I also think of living the way Jesus did when He lived on earth, having a heart like His. As I begin to examine all Jesus did and said as He walked the earth I find that truly His heart was that of a servant. Although He is God Himself He lived to serve others and show then the love that runs deeper than human understanding.
I began to wonder, what does it mean to have the heart of a servant? A servant sets his or her needs and desires aside until those of the master are met. The only goal is to serve the master. The second verse of Living for Jesus reminds us of how the price Jesus paid as a servant here on earth should compel us to follow His example.
Living for Jesus Who died in my place,
Bearing on Calv’ry my sin and disgrace;
Such love constrains me to answer His call,
Follow His leading and give Him my all.
We are called to be servants of God and set aside our goals and desires while we serve Him, and in turn serve others in His name.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition and vain conceit, but in humility consider others better (more significant) than yourselves. Each of you should look not to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
Serving looks differently for each of us. For some it is meeting a financial need or providing a meal or ride. It may be helping with household chores or repairs, or perhaps lending a listening ear, a warm hug, or simply the presence of a friend. We are all called to pray for each other, lifting up needs and celebrating joys. (Romans 12:15)
The third verse of Living For Jesus speaks to this very thing:
Living for Jesus, wherever I am,
Doing each duty in His holy Name;
Willing to suffer affliction and loss,
Deeming each trial a part of my cross.
It goes against our human instincts to seek to serve our Master instead of serving ourselves, our wants and needs. Having the heart of a servant sometimes takes us out of our comfort zone. It compels us to listen to God and those around us instead of being quick to speak. We may also be called to reach out to someone different from us, but through our servanthood we give hope to others and hopefully point them to Jesus.
Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,
My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;
Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,
Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.
As often happens in the kingdom of God, when we are obedient to serving our Master and pleasing Him we find an interesting twist.
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of heart.
Psalm 37:4
God is not a master who requires us to serve until we are weary and discouraged. He is so loving and generous to us that as we focus on serving Him and reaching others with His love we find our deepest desires are also fulfilled.
As we go through the week ahead may we focus on having the heart of a servant. Let’s look less at ourselves and more at those around us who could use a helping hand, listening ear or extra prayer. Let’s pray the prayer of commitment in the chorus of Living for Jesus, dedicating ourselves to Him.
O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,
For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me;
I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne;
My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ, for Thee alone.
As we look back at the end of the week we’ll be amazed at the blessings that have come our way!
Blessings & peace to you this week!
Paula
Paula Davis 