Having a Servant's Heart......

Phillipians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others as better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.

Recently, God has laid it upon my heart and revealed to me much needed wisdom on the subject of having a servant's heart. I know that I am not the only Christian out there that has been confused or did not fully understand the concept of truly being a servant of God. God has a specific calling on the lives of every Christian. This doesn't mean that everyone is called to be a preacher, missionary, or teacher. There are many different things that God may have for us to do. But, everyone is called to be compassionate, to have the heart of a servant. Jesus himself is our example of this. He made Himself lower than all. He gave all that He had, His very life, for very undeserving people (including me). Now, in Philippians, Paul says we are to have that same mindset that Jesus had. I  have been discouraged in the past, and sometimes still am, because I have met so many Christians that were not willing to sacrifice themselves, mostly their time, which is probably the one thing that most are not willing to sacrifice, in order to further the ministry of God. Also, some have the misunderstanding that being God's servant means working at the church or at church functions. Quite the opposite! I had to learn this on my own. When I was first saved I wanted to do something, anything, for God. I thought that meant I needed to do something at church. I was so discouraged for a long time because I felt I had no place, no purpose, in the church. One of my weaknesses is that I do get discouraged easily sometimes. Back then, even more than today. It took me years to truly understand that being a servant means having that selfless, compassionate heart at all times, in everything you do, and doing everything as if you are doing it for the Lord and not people. This has been a great relief to me. I always had that selfless, compassionate heart, I just didn't realize that the kindness and compassion that I was showing others in the little things I did was actually "working for God". Now, my whole outlook on life is different....in the most wonderful way. When anyone questions me about something I have done or tells me I shouldn't do something anymore because people are taking advantage of me or it is too stressful and I don't need to deal with it, I'm so happy to have the opportunity to tell them that I am doing it because that is what God wants me to do and I am doing it for Him. For whatever reason, God has given me this opportunity a lot lately. Nearly every day I am witnessing to people by simply telling them why I do certain things. My life is obviously very hectic with raising 4 children right now and keeping up with a busy household, but even in doing my duties as a mother and wife, I give it all that I have because I know that I am doing it for God. Yes, I oftentimes add to my busy life by doing for others and some people in my life tend to think that it is only adding more stress that I don't need, but, again, I give and I help others because I am doing it for God. I carry the mindset that Jesus never said that being His servant would always be easy and any day could be my last so I'm not waiting until my kids are grown and life is more simple before I take on the more difficult tasks that God sends my way. I personally don't want to say "God, I know this is important to You, but I'm kind of stretched for time right now". The small things that I do will do great things in the kingdom of God. Sometimes, the little things we do or say make a huge difference in a person's life even if we don't realize it. Matthew 5:14 Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. When a Christian reaches out to people in need, whether that person is a Christian in a weak place at the time or a nonbeliever, the light that is in them, Jesus Christ, shines...even if that person doesn't say so right then. That act of reaching out to them may be the first time they have seen Jesus through someone...or it may encourage a Christian who had grown weary to keep running the race. This is why we all need to be mindful of the way we act and the things we say...you never know when God will place you in that moment where it is critical to do and say the right thing. Now, before I close, I would like to say that it is completely my fault that it took me so long to figure out these things. I suppose that I was so focused on finding something to do for God (which isn't a bad thing), that I didn't just take the time to read Scripture AND pray about it. Of course I prayed and prayed for God to show me what He wanted me to do and for Him to open the doors for me. But, I didn't just clear my mind, read my Bible, and pray about the Scriptures, asking for wisdom. Fortunately, I spend a lot more time alone with God now and even throughout the day, while I'm washing dishes or doing laundry or even taking a shower, I am constantly talking to God. Time alone with God does bring you to a greater understanding of Him and His Word. It has made a huge difference in my life. Of course, I haven't lost that desire to do more for God. I will never lose that desire. In fact, I am writing this because I wanted to do more to reach out to people for God. This happens to be what I can do right now since I do have small children at home and can't really get out of the house to participate in volunteer work or other types of ministry work outside the home. God knows each of us and He is not going to put on us more than we can bear and He will give us the means to bear what He does give us. I experience a lot more peace and happiness now that I learned that by being humble, selfless, and compassionate I am doing just what our Lord called me to do first and foremost....He does the rest in His time.

Matthew 5:16 Let your light shine so before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me that your first calling for me is to truly understand and strive to have the same mindset and compassionate heart towards everyone, to have a servant's heart in all that I do. I pray that everyone will have this same desire and You will give us all the ability to always be as You want and expect us to be in order to let the world see Your light in us and thus Your name be glorified.

In Jesus name I pray,
Amen

I hope that you have been touched or enlightened in some way by this entry. Bear with me, as this was my first post. Thank you for taking the time to read this....have a blessed day!