Editors note: For the month of October, our focus verse is found in Matthew 20:28. It states that, “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus is calling the disciples (and all who are in Christ) to follow the same path to greatness: humble, sacrificial service to each other.
I am a servant. No matter how many times I take the gifts test, my number 1 gift is always servanthood. I have even thought about changing my answers so I can be something more “spiritual”, but it still comes out “servant”.
Even as a child, I always wanted to help. I loved helping my grandmother wash dishes, cook and clean. She always said I was too young to help so I would sneak around the house and find something to clean just so I could please her. I believe this is where I started my journey of serving just to please others.
In Matthew 25:21 it says “…well done good and faithful servant.” This is what I always wanted to hear from everyone…look at me, look at me! I didn’t grow up in the church so I probably didn’t know this scripture, but it is what I wanted to hear. I was all about pleasing everyone, but not the Lord.
When I started attending church with a friend in junior high, I wanted to please everyone and started doing all I could for everyone in the church. You see, I was going and hearing the word, but I really didn’t understand it all. I thought I needed to serve people!
When I grew up and got married, I was still going to this church and I was still not saying no. I did everything, except teach. I am not a teacher, and I didn’t know much about what needed to be taught. I was learning more but still felt so inadequate, so I served more. I helped with youth, was in the choir, and I was even the church treasurer for a time. I was doing all I could to fulfill Ephesians 6:7, “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.” I felt that the way to get to heaven was to serve more. Yes, I had asked Jesus into my heart and really loved Him and wanted to serve Him, but I was a little mixed up about needing to serve God and not just men. Colossians 3:24 says, “Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward, it is the Lord Christ you are serving.” This is the part I was missing. When you serve Jesus, you are serving man also, but you need to have the right perspective and serve the Lord first. I really started feeling kind of condemned no matter how much I did.
I left the church, divorced my husband, and decided that I couldn’t measure up. Because of all I did, it got in the way of just loving and serving the Lord. I was burned out and was so tired of “serving God”. I started living in the world and saying I didn’t need Him or church. But He never left me. He very patiently stayed with me and every chance He got, when I would get out of the way, He tugged at my heart. Thank You, Jesus for loving me so much!
This world was not my home and I got tired of living worldly. It took me several years, but I went on a Walk to Emmaus and headed back to the Lord. I met Dewitt who is also a servant and together, we knew we wanted to serve the Lord.
In December of 2010, the Lord led us to Harvest. I finally heard the truth and I got it. I had heard the truth before, but the key here is that I GOT IT! We loved our church and had a strong desire to serve. I learned so much more about serving and the main thing for me was that you can say “NO” sometimes. Romans 12:11 states, “Never be lacking in zeal but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord.” I serve because I love Him and believe that He has saved me from the darkness. God has freed me from a life of inadequacy to a life of joy and rest.
“But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you; then choose for yourself this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15
I am still a servant and feel blessed that God chose this gift for me. I serve Him through praise and worship, communion, tithe and offerings, altar team, making coffee, laundry, sewing and whatever else He calls me to do. I love serving Him. No matter what I do, I can never out-serve Him.
“Just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:28
We would like to thank Debbie Crosby for writing this blog post.
Women's Ministry 