MAR 16

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
Memorise 1 Peter 4:12-13
“… For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost…”

HOW SHOULD WE SERVE?

Now that you understand what it means to be a servant both to unbelievers and believers, what are the instructions that you should hold to when you go about your business to serve? What must you know when you serve in the fields? Well, in service, all of God’s Word is necessary for us but our passage for today does quite neatly cover some of the key points to note. God-willing, we will go through each of these instructions in the coming days in detail and in the process we may be better equipped to serve better.

Whilst serving the King of kings is a great privilege, it will not always be smooth sailing. There will be times when we may encounter discouragements from others. Other times, things may not seem to work even when we work hard. Some of you may think that since you are serving God, things should always be good and smooth. God should remove all hindrances that come our way. After all, aren’t we doing the right thing? It is true, God does sometimes remove hindrances that block the work of God, but there are also times when God allows difficulties to come our way, even when we have sacrificed to serve. Why is it so?

Peter reminds us: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” (1 Peter 4:12-13).

Yes there will be times of trials and these difficult times are allowed by God for our betterment. This is also true in the area of service. Our hearts need to be purified in our service. God needs to help us make our service better and this requires pruning and hence it can be painful. Hence, in our service, we have to be prepared for challenges. These challenges are allowed by God and are there to help us. Though difficult, they will pass and we will be one step closer to being more like Christ. Along this journey, God does not leave us helpless though. We must be prepared to serve and the only way to do that is to be equipped with the instructions; that is, God’s Word. In the area of service, we will look at some of these Words of guidance in the coming readings.

Thought: The instructions for service: God’s Word.
Prayer: Lord, teach me what true service means.