Daily devotion – Saved to serve!
Mark 10:44–45
“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
This year we have emphasised the truth that we are “saved to serve”—that every believer is called to serve the Lord from the very moment we receive Him as our Lord and Saviour until the day He takes us home.
Yet the reality remains that few people serve, and many churches continually find themselves searching for servants to fill the many needs within each local fellowship.
The simplest way to discern whether you are truly a servant of Jesus Christ is by how you react when people treat you like one.
All too often, our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak. We have no problem serving—as long as people realise that we are serving, as long as everyone knows what we have been doing. We are happy to be servants provided we are recognised as the “Servant of the Year.”
But if you gladly clean the church, tend the grounds, help in children’s ministry, serve in the kitchen, or meet practical needs—without being noticed—yours is the heart of a true servant.
Does the Lord call us to be servants because He desires to see us grovel? Absolutely not. He calls us to serve because He is preparing us for the Kingdom—for the next billion years and beyond. And He knows that the best exercise for strengthening the heart is stooping down to lift someone else. To serve and bring Him glory!
The best medicine for your life is serving the Lord and being His hands and feet to others. As you serve, your heart is strengthened, selfishness fades, pride diminishes, and kindness, gentleness, patience and love take root. The fruit of the Spirit becomes evident for all to see.
You may not be rewarded now, but when you enter the Kingdom—when the Lord Himself says, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord”—you will do so with a large heart and a great capacity to enjoy eternity.
If you desire to lead, become a servant.
It is a paradox indeed—but it is gloriously true.