1Cor.4v1-2: Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.

You are welcome back to our discussion on service requirements, and I believe you have been blessed by the things I have shared with you so far. It’s apparent that God has certain expectations for you with regards to serving Him, as you can see from 1Cor.4v2. In fact, some other translation drives home the point better:

“The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their masters”- Good News Translation.

“Managers are required to be trustworthy”- God’s Word Translation.

“Moreover it is (essentially) required of stewards that a man should be found faithful (proving himself worthy of trust)- Amplified Translation (Classic Edition).

So my dear reader, to what extent are you meeting up with God’s requirements? One interesting truth about the requirements of God for service is that they are conditions that can be met. Today, by his grace, I will be sharing more insights about these requirements with you, so off we go!

WHAT GOD EXPECTS OF YOU:

1. Purity. God expects that you serve Him in the purity of heart, mind, and body. This is part of the vital requirements of service. No purity! No Power! Less Purity! Less Power! This is how it operates in the Kingdom of God. The greater your consecration, the greater your level of service and vice versa also (Matt.5v8). So my dear brothers and sisters, in order to be of great use in God’s hand, your vessel needs to be purified, and in fact, you need to stay purified too, if you will be an instrument of honour in his hands. God is looking for pure vessels, not perfect vessels, so it’s time to walk in pureness of living, for this is what it takes to serve God (1Jn.5v21).
   
2. Promptness. Serving God also entails that you are earnest and prompt about the discharge of your duties or assignment. Punctuality is the soul of business. You don’t have all the time in the world in doing God’s work. This is why you need to be punctual or prompt. You, too, need to do God’s work with a sense of urgency. This is how to serve him and God is always pleased with such a service (1Sam.21v8). So it’s time to say no to every form of sloppiness or laziness in doing God’s work. It’s time for you to do God’s work with a sense of timeliness. Will you rise up to this challenge today? (Matt.13v25).
   
3. Submission. This is another fundamental requirement of service. How submissive are you to the Lord? Are you the kind of servant that obeys his master or does otherwise? The problem with King Saul in the Bible was a lack of submission to God’s will and purpose. This was what made him lose his place and relevance in God. May this never be your portion in Jesus name, amen. So it’s time to raise your game when it comes to submission. The more submissive you are to God, the greater your hand of usefulness and vice versa also. A submissive vessel is ready to go wherever the Lord says to go, do whatever the Lord says to do, and be whatever the Lord says to be (Jer.18v5-6; 1Sam.15v22). My dear reader, to what extent are you becoming this kind of vessel?

Other Scriptural References: (Acts 13v1-4: 13v22; Mal.1v6; Matt.21v28-30; Matt.3v2: 4v17; Jn.9v4: 4v34; 2Tim.2v20-21; Pro.20v4; Heb.12v14; 2Cor.7v1).

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, I am willing and ready to serve you in the way and manner you want to be served. Holy Spirit, be my strengthener and helper in Jesus name, amen.

CONFESSION: Serving the Lord is my pursuit and desire. I commit myself to serving the Lord in spirit and in truth. I am sold out to this service. I am committed to serving him in and out of season. I purpose to serve the Lord the way he wants to be served and not the way I want to serve him. As I put him first in my service, every other thing is falling into place for me. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to serve.

Pastor Yemi Adeoti

Yemi Adeoti is a pastor, teacher, life coach and mentor & also a prolific writer.