Servants of ExcellenceDevotionalIf you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done." (Eccl 11:4) Do Your Best With What You Have As we continue to improve our serve every day remember that servants don’t procrastinate or wait for better circumstances. They never say, “One of these days,” or “When the time is right.” Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are. Do Every Task with Equal Dedication Col. 3:23 says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men…” Whether you feel specially called for a task or not, tackle it with all of your heart. Paul warned us, “If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.” (Gal 6:3 NLT). Jesus specialized in menial tasks that others tried to avoid such as washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, and serving lepers. Nothing was beneath Him because He came to serve. Your servant’s heart will always be revealed in little acts that others don’t think of doing. Demonstrate Faithfulness Servants finish their tasks and don’t leave a job half undone, quitting when they get discouraged. When you pass your daily tests of faithfulness, you will be in good company with people like Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy, and Paul - all of which were called faithful servants of God. Although you may retire from your career, you will never retire from serving God. Stay Low Servants don’t promote or call attention to themselves. Instead of acting to impress they put on the apron of humility, serving one another. Jesus said, “When you do good deeds, don’t try to show off. If you do, you won’t get a reward from your Father in heaven.” (Matt 6:1 CEV). Paul labeled it as serving with “eye service.” Real servants don’t serve for the approval or applause of others. Instead, they live for an audience of One. You may find yourself serving in obscurity in some small place, feeling unknown and unappreciated. God put you there for a purpose so stay put until He chooses to move you. Don’t be surprised when God openly rewards some of His most obscure and unknown servants one day in heaven. Knowing this, don’t be discouraged when your service is unnoticed or taken for granted. Keep serving. As Paul said, “Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.” (1 Cor 15:58 MSG). In Matt. 10:42 Jesus said, “If, as my representatives, you give even a cup of cold water to a little child, you will surely be rewarded.” Let’s serve with excellence and serve like Jesus. PrayerLord, help me not to put off the opportunity to serve others.
When I do serve, I will do it with all my heart. I know that when I serve others, I am really serving you. I will finish the job. I will do my job humbly. I will not try to impress others, because you are the only one that matters. In Jesus’ Name.
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Servants in ActionDevotional
In our self-serving culture with its me-first mentality, acting like a servant is not a popular concept. Jesus, however, measured greatness in terms of service, not status. God determines your greatness by how many people you serve, not how many people serve you. To be like Jesus is to be a servant. That’s what He called Himself. Real servants are always available. If you see a man fall into a ditch, God expects you to help him out, not say, “I don’t have the gift of mercy.” While you may not be gifted for a particular task, your ministry will always be serving others wherever you’re needed at the moment. Much like a soldier, a servant is always standing by for duty. “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him.” (2 Tim. 2:4 NASB). Real servants do what’s needed, even when it’s inconvenient. Are you available to God anytime? If you will remind yourself at the start of every day that you are God’s servant, interruptions won’t frustrate you as much, because your agenda will be whatever God wants to bring into your life. Real servants see the needs. When you see a need, see the moment to meet it. “Whenever we have the opportunity, we have to do what is good for everyone, especially for the family of believers.” (Gal 6:10 GW). Be on the look out for people that God puts right in front of you, opportunities to grow in servanthood. Some miss occasions to serve because they lack sensitivity and spontaneity. Great opportunities to serve never last long. They pass quickly and sometimes never return again. John Wesley said, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.” Begin by looking for small tasks that no one else wants to do. Do these little things as if they were great things, because God is watching for servants in action. PrayerLord, I want people to see Jesus in me.
Help me to set aside “me” and what I want for the sake of others. I make myself available to help others. Help me to see the need and act. I will not allow the good interruptions to help others pass me by today. I will be sensitive and spontaneous today to help anyone in need. In every moment and in every way, I will serve others today. In Jesus’ Name. It's Time to Use ItDevotional“Since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be.” (Rom 12:5 MSG) God shaped you for a purpose, and He expects you to make the most of what you have been given. Don’t covet what you don’t have. Instead, focus on the talents He has given you to use. Eph. 5:17 says, “Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to.” Assess your gifts and abilities. Take a long look at what you are good at and what you’re not good at. Make a list and ask others for their candid opinion. Spiritual gifts and natural abilities are most always confirmed by others. Ask yourself: Where have I seen fruit in my life that others confirmed? Where have I already been successful? Many teach, “Discover your gifts. And then you will know what ministry you’re supposed to have.” Instead, why not start serving, experimenting with different ministries, and then you’ll discover your gifts. Until you’re actually involved in serving, you’re not going to know what you’re good at. Try doing something you have never done before. In so doing, you may discover a gift you never saw before. Consider your heart and personality. Ask yourself:
Examine your experiences for lessons. Review your life and think about how it has shaped you. Paul also warned, “Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else.” (Gal 6:4 NLT). Don’t allow Satan to steal your joy by comparing yourself to others or conforming your ministry to the expectation of others. “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.” (2 Cor. 10:12) Take advantage of every opportunity to serve and sharpen your serving skills by being who God made you to be. It’s time to use it. PrayerLord, you shaped me for a special purpose.
Help me to embrace what you made me to be good at. When I don’t know what to do, I will commit to doing something. Then lead me to my true heart’s desire. Use the experiences of my life to teach me how to serve you. I will not compare my gift to others. It is time for you to use what you put in me. Shaped Through ExperienceDevotionalHe comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” (2 Cor. 1:4) Along with being shaped by God, the experiences of our life can also be used by God to shape how and what we minister to others. Whether you appreciate it or not, you have been shaped by your experiences in life, most of which were beyond your control. God allowed them for His purpose of molding you.
We value some of our experiences while others, we hope to forget. The very experiences that you have resented or regretted most in life - the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget - are the experiences God wants to use to help others. We call them ministry. People are always more encouraged when we share how God’s grace helped us in weakness than when we brag about our strengths. In 2 Cor. 1:8-10 NLT Paul wrote, You ought to know about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead. And he did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” If Paul had kept his experience a secret, we would have never benefited from it. Only shared experiences can help others. Experience happens to all of us. It is important what you do with your experience after the fact that makes the difference. Will you use it to help others or will you waste your pain? Be transparent and allow God to use your experiences to encourage and lift others along the way. PrayerLord, I do not minimize the experiences that you have sustained me through.
I appreciate every experience that I have gone through. Use my unique experiences to shape me. Use the good, bad, and ugly parts of my life to help others. If you can use my hurts to help others then do it. Use me to encourage and lift others through my story. In Jesus’ Name. Shaped for SuccessDevotionalYou shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you … God —you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made!" (Psalm 139:13-14) God designed each of us so there would be no duplication in the world. That means that no one else on earth will ever be able to play the role God planned for you. If you don’t make your unique contribution to the Body of Christ, it won’t be made. Paul said, There are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” (1 Cor 12:4-6). Apply Your Abilities “God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.” (Rom. 12:6) You have dozens, probably hundreds, of untapped, unrecognized, and unused abilities that are lying dormant inside of you. Some studies have revealed that the average person possesses from 500 to 700 different skills and abilities - far more than you realize. What you are able to do, God wants you to do. You are the only person on earth who can use your abilities. No one else can play your role because they don’t have the unique shape that God has given you. Seriously examine what you are good at doing and what you’re not good at. God will never ask you to dedicate your life to a task you have no talent for. And the abilities you do have are a strong indication of what god wants you to do with your life. “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.” (1 Peter 4:10 LB). Embrace Your Personality God loves variety and He created each of us with a unique personality. Some are introverts while others are extroverts. He made people who love routine and others who love variety. Some are thinkers while others are feelers. Some work best alone while others work better with a team. “God works through different people in different ways, but it is the same God who achieves His purpose through them all.” (1 Cor. 12:6) There is no “right” or “wrong” temperament for ministry. We need them all for balance and flavor. Like stained glass in a church, our different personalities reflect God’s light in many colors and patterns. Appreciate your abilities and your unique personality knowing that it was God who shaped you for success. PrayerLord, thank you for shaping me, inside and out, in a very unique way.
No other person can do what you made me to do. Help me to see what you made me good at and not so good at. I will use my abilities today to bring you glory. Use my God-given personality to give flavor to this world. I will be happy with who you made me to be, in Jesus’ Name. Shaped for ServingDevotionalServing is the opposite of our natural inclination. In our immaturity we may have been more interested in “serve us” rather than “service.” In Isaiah 43:21 NJB, God says, The people I have shaped for myself will broadcast my praises.” God formed every creature on this planet with a special area of expertise and the same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed or “shaped,” to do certain things. Before architects design any new building they first ask, “What will be its purpose? How will it be used?” God has planned exactly how He wanted you to serve Him, and then He shaped you for those tasks. You are the way you are because you were made for a specific ministry. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10 NIV) You are not an assembly-line product, mass produced without thought. Instead, you are a custom-designed, one-of-a-kind, original masterpiece. God would not give you abilities, interests, talents, gifts, personality, and life experiences unless He intended to use them for His glory. Proverbs 27:19 NIV says, As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.” Your heart reveals the real you - what you truly are, not what others think you are. Just as we each have unique thumbprints, eye prints, and voice prints, our hearts beat in slightly different patterns. In the same way, God has given each of us a unique emotional “heartbeat” that races when we think about the subjects, activities, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively care about some things and not about others. These are clues to where you should be serving. What is your passion? What are your interests? We know we are serving God from the heart when we find ourselves loving what we do. No one needs to motivate us or check up on us when we are enthusiastic about it. Finding yourself in this place is the first key to discovering what you were shaped to do. Figure out what you love to do - what God gave you a heart to do - and then do it for His glory. PrayerLord, I see that you shaped my life to do something very specific.
Thank you for making me a one-of-a-kind person. I will listen to my heart as you show me my place. I will discover the clues that you have placed in my life. Help me to see what I am passionate about and to do it with all my heart. In this, I will bring you glory, in Jesus’ Name. Mission PossibleDevotionalMany years ago, there was a popular drama TV show that began each episode with a special crime agent receiving a top secret message on a reel-to-reel tape player. It went like this: “ Jim, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to… This message will self-destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck Jim.” It was the show, Mission Impossible. In the body of Christ, God has given you an opportunity for a mission that is possible. In Eph. 2:10 LB Paul says, It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” You weren’t create just to consume resources and take up space. You were put on the earth to make a contribution. While many books today offer advice on how to “get” the most out of life, that is not the reason God made you. You were created to “add” to life on earth, not just take from it. Just like God told Jeremiah, He is speaking to you, Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer. 1:5) What an honor to know that there is a special assignment in you, that is unique to you. God paid a great price for you, so use your body to honor Him. We don’t serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy and deep gratitude for what He has done for us. Why does God leave us in a fallen world after we are saved? He leaves us here to fulfill His purposes. Once you are saved, God intends to use you for His goals. God has a ministry for you to serve Him with and a mission fro you in the world. When you got saved, Jesus got a new pair of eyes to see with, new ears to listen with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with. God wants to use you to make a difference in His world. It is not the duration of your life that matters as much as your donation of it. Don’t think of how long you have lived; rather, how you lived. The scriptures are a history of God using all sorts of people in service, doing His will in the earth. In all the cases, God used imperfect people to bless others. He will use you, too, if you will only stop making excuses. It is a mission, and it is very possible. PrayerLord, I want to spend my life helping others.
Show me today how I can add to the lives around me. Thank you for choosing me for your special assignment. My assignment is unique to me and how you shaped me. Use me to accomplish your goals. Help me to make a difference in my world, in Jesus’ Name. |
40 Days of LifeJoin us in 40 days of fasting & focus with this 40 day devotional. Small Group ResourcesDon't do the next 40 days alone! Create your own group & click here for additional resources to use during small group sessions.
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MOUNT HOPE CHURCH
8363 Embury Road Grand Blanc, MI 48439 LET'S CONNECT ONLINE
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OUR MISSION
Reaching all of Grand Blanc, Genesee County, and the world with the life changing gospel message of Jesus Christ. Motivating, teaching and empowering Christians to know God intimately, live victoriously, and to grow up spiritually. |