In his book “The Pursuit of Excellence”, Ted Engstrom (author and former head of Youth for Christ and World Vision International) shared this memorable story.
I was cleaning out a desk drawer when I found a flashlight I had not used in over a year. I flipped the switch but was not surprised when it gave no light. I unscrewed it and shook it to get the batteries out, but they would not budge.
Finally, after some effort, they came loose. What a mess! Battery acid had corroded the entire inside of the flashlight. The batteries were new when I put them in and I had stored them in a safe, warm place. But there was one problem. Those batteries were not made to be warm and comfortable. They were designed to be turned on – to be used.
It is the same with us. We were not created to be warm, safe, and comfortable. You and I were made to be turned on – to put our love to work, to apply our patience in difficult, trying situations – to let our light shine.
One writer put it this way: “Look for small tasks nobody else wants to do, then do them as if they were great things because God is recording it all. Make yourself available. Don’t fill your time with other pursuits that limit your availability. Be ready to jump into service at a moment’s notice. Allow God to change your plans without becoming resentful. As a servant, you don’t get to choose where you’ll serve. God does.”
Jesus declared in Matthew 20:26-28, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—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.” If anyone deserves to be served, it is Jesus. Yet He is focused on others, not on Himself.
Jesus did not just teach serving; He modeled it. In John 13:1-17, we see Jesus humbling Himself to wash dirty feet. None of the disciples were willing to do it. After all, it is a dirty job and who wants to handle filthy feet? Plus the disciples were aiming for positions of influence and prominence in Jesus’ coming kingdom. Why jeopardize that by humbling themselves to do a servant’s job? But Jesus, their Lord and Master, “wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet…. (v4-5).
Jesus not only humbled Himself to serve others by washing their feet, He humbled Himself even more to take our place of punishment for sin by dying upon a cross. He gave Himself completely on the cross when He suffered the wrath of the Father and paid the price for our sin. O praise His glorious Name!
Where can you serve? How can you serve? There are many opportunities here at the church. If you would like to be involved in that way, please let me know. Serving, however, is not limited to the four walls of the church building. How might the Lord want you to serve your neighbor? Your coworker? Your classmate? Your family members? How can you be the hands and feet of Jesus to minister to someone in need? Remember: When we minister to someone in need, we are ministering to Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40). What a privilege!
This Sunday, March 27, we will continue our teaching series, “Markers along the Discipleship Pathway”, by focusing on the necessity and joy of Serving. Please join us at 10:35am in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream to both locations every Sunday morning. PS: We need more kids for our children’s ministry so please bring the keikis!
Coming Up: The 57th Hawaii AG District Conference takes place March 28-30 at First Assembly (Red Hill). Evening services begin at 6:30pm and are open to the public. Please don’t miss these exciting celebrations.
Our next Drive-Through Prayer outreach will be Saturday, April 2, from 1-3pm. Something wonderful happens every month. What will the Lord do this time? Come and find out!
Aloha ke Akua!