Declaration: I am CALLED.
Galatians 5:13
For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Key Bible Verses: 1 Samuel 12:24; Colossians 3:17; Galatians 5:13
1 Samuel 12:24
24 But be sure to fear the Lord and faithfully serve him. Think of all the wonderful things he has done for you.
Colossians 3:17
17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Galatians 5:13
13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Devotion
I can remember my first job in ministry — Middle School Intern. I thought I had arrived: pray everyday; preach messages; love Jesus; lunch break with angels; etc. My first day in the office was July 5th, the day after the church had hosted a huge Fourth of July party. Inflatables, tailgates, an incredible fireworks show, cars parked everywhere, the event was amazing and the repercussions were disastrous! The entire campus was covered in trash. I mean covered. Hot dog wrappers, nacho trays, beer cans (praise God for outreach), a total mess. I had gotten dressed in my “church best” to impress on my first day. I walked in and one of the pastors said, “We need to clean up this entire campus. Who’s the new middle school intern?” I was handed a shovel handle with a spike on the end and a roll of trash bags. “Have fun intern” were the last words I heard before spending the entire day filling trash bags and loading them into the back of my truck. It was disgusting. As I drove the trashbags to the dumpster, you could see the trash ooze running out of my tailgate. My clothes, shoes, truck, everything was destroyed.
Welcome to ministry.
Little did I know that experience would prepare me for ministry more than just about any other. Why? Because I can remember being so excited to be serving the Lord, I didn’t care what I had to do. I believe that heart, in that moment, was the start of me elevating to new levels of ministry. I love what Paul says in Colossians 3:17 about serving, “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”
Keyword: whatever.
God doesn’t want you to “work” at something.
God wants to work through you as you do anything!
Our purpose is building God’s Kingdom. It’s bigger than us. Serving is our role in His plan. Do something for God. Anything. Or, whatever. As we do, God’s begins to actively work in our lives to prepare us for greater levels through serving Him. What we’re doing doesn’t matter as much as our willingness to do what God wants us to. That’s the heart and attitude He can elevate to new levels. The people getting the most growth and life out of their serving experiences are the ones that start by saying, “What do you need me to do?” Serving isn’t free labor, it’s ministry. God will work in you and through you even if it means picking up trash for a day!
Discipline: Get involved! Do something! Whatever. The important thing is doing. What has God been calling you to do?
Additional resource: Join The Team!