Bible Text: (Philippians 2: 4-6)
Happy New Season to you all. Last year was awesome as God led us throughout each step of the journey. Again, this year, we are confident of His leading by His Word. We trust God to set us on the course for what He wants to do through us this new season.
This new year, the Lord directs our hearts to our attitude towards serving in His Kingdom. He expects every believer to serve Him actively in the vineyard. But beyond rendering service, God is more concerned about the frame of mind we use in effecting our service to Him. This is the message He wants to communicate this new year. So, let me begin by asking – do you have the right attitude towards service in God’s Kingdom? Are you committed to serving God with the mindset of a servant always at the beck and call of his master? Perhaps you are serving the Lord with a reward mindset, doing your best in the Kingdom for the sake of something you want to get in return. Now is the moment to reflect!
The Book of Philippians 2 vs 4-7 affirms that every believer must have a correct or right frame of mind to render an acceptable service before God. This means service to God is not about what you do but the state of mind or heart you engage in rendering your service. As a servant of God, you first render your heart. Your heart precedes your service. If you have a right heart, you will render an acceptable service. Service to God is simply a matter of the heart, not just an activity. So, a
bossy mentality or reward mindset is inimical to kingdom-like service. Christ showed us an example, He took upon Himself and made Himself of no reputation; we must have the same servitude mindset (vs. 7). After He laid this example, He gathered His disciples and began to teach them in words and deeds to make a servant out of them. This shows that as far as God is concerned, the essence of discipleship is to build a servitude consciousness.
That said, it is essential to know that as a believer, you are not just only a servant of God but also of men. This means your service is to God through men. God is invincible, but you can serve Him by rendering service to believers like you in the Kingdom. In fact, your service makes a whole of sense if it is rendered to God through people. It helps you eliminate bossy mentality and teaches you not to be too conscious of yourself. You see, the reason for too much contention in the church is that we have not yet accepted that we are all servants in the vineyard. No one is greater or most loved or rated than others. We are all servants, but our disposition towards service will measure our service.
To be continued…