What It Takes To Serve God 3

Jn.13v3-15: Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are you washing my feet”? Jesus answered and said to him, “what I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will know after this”. Peter Sid to him, “You shall never wash my feet”. Jesus answered him, “if I do not wash you, you have no part with Me”. Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head”. Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. For He knew who would betray him; therefore, He said, “you are not all clean”. So when He had washed their feet, taken his garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “do you know what I have done to you? You call me teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

What does it take to serve God? This is the question that we are examining in this series of teachings and I do hope that you have been blessed so far by the truths and revelations of this teaching. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ has demonstrated to us by his action and lifestyle as we can see in (Jn.13v3-15) that he understands what it takes to serve God. Since he is an authority in this field, we can never go wrong when we follow his counsel. I shared with you six of the basic requirements for service and today by His grace; I will be shedding more light on another set of requirements. So if you are ready, here we go!

THE REQUIREMENTS OF SERVICE:

1. Faithfulness. To be faithful means to be dependable, reliable or trustworthy. This is another essential requirement of service that you need in order to serve God effectively. So can you be dependable upon to deliver? Can you be relied upon to do the work and not fail? Can you be trusted? These are some of the questions you need to provide answers to if you will serve God properly. Faithfulness is a rare quality to come by these days but it’s possible to serve in this manner (1Cor.4v2, 17). So precious child of God, have you made up your mind to be a faithful servant?

2. Commitment. It’s difficult to serve the Lord effectively without being committed. So how committed are you to God and his work? A committed person is someone who is ready to go all the way. They are sold out to God and to his work. A good example of commitment is the Great Apostle Paul. He was a man who was sold out and dedicated to the course of the gospel. No wonder he accomplished great things for God. You, too, can do the same, in fact, much more if you are willing to give yourself to God’s work. The greater your commitment, the greater your level of service and vice versa also. So my dear reader, are you ready for this kind of dedication? (Jn.6v66-68)

3. Sacrifices. Serving God effectively is sacrificial in nature. You will never serve God at your own convenience or on your own terms but it will always be a matter of sacrifice. So what sacrifices are you making for the Kingdom? Or what kind of sacrifice are you ready to make for the Kingdom of God? Nothing goes for nothing. There is a price for everything in life and the greater the sacrifice, the greater the level of service. This is how things operate in the Kingdom. Serving God is going to cost you something. May you be able to pay the price needed for you to serve the Lord (Phil.2v17). My dear reader, as you yield yourself to the service of his most high, may your service never be in vain, and as you embrace the virtues for service, may your life never remain the same again in Jesus’ name, amen.

Other Scriptural References: (1Cor.15v10; 2Cor.12v15; Lk.2v37-38; Rom.16v3-4; Philip.2v25-30; 2Tim.4v10; Eph.6v21; 1Sam.22v14; Pro.28v20; Matt.25v21, 23).

Prayer for Today: Heavenly Father, help me fully embrace and imbibe these qualities to serve you in Jesus name, amen.

CONFESSION: I commit myself to the service of God. Holy Spirit, help me to serve faithfully and with a strong sense of commitment. Help me to serve you sacrificially. I am ready to spend and willing to be spent for your service. My primary purpose of sacrifice is to bring you glory and praise. I receive grace today to serve you the same way you want to be served in Jesus’ name, amen.