HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT GOD ASKING YOU TO SERVE HIM AFTER HE SAVED YOU?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s
grace given me through the working of his power.
(Ephesians 3:7)

MEDITATION:
Paul was persecuting Christians, but suddenly the Lord changed
him into a new person to be used by God for His purposes.
Paul’s story is a dramatic and impactful transformation,
but no more than ours when the Lord changes us.

We might not be the evangelist Paul was, but we can be
sure that when we are changed, God has plans to use us too.
What we need to remember is, when God is using those He
saved, we are all important for His purposes.

If we ignore or decline to respond to His purpose for us, God
can certainly find others who will ‘fill the gap’ caused by our
unwillingness to serve Him, but like a precious gem, we have
lost something special that God had planned for us, along with
His blessings.

Some of us refuse to surrender to His will because
it doesn’t fit our ideas of how we could serve Him.
Quite often His plans will take us out of our “comfort zone”
(which we don’t like), but it is His way of showing us how
much we need to depend on Him and His encouragement.

Think about those who have been called to be preachers,
who may have served God for years, but have seen only
one person saved.
That may seem like a paltry number for the years they have
served, but one person’s eternal destiny has been changed
and that’s more valuable than anything else we can do!!
remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error
of their way will save them from death and cover over
a multitude of sins. (James 5:20)

When we read about Paul’s new attitude after God changed
him, we can sense the new joy he found and the increase
of his enthusiasm to serve, even though he was persecuted
for his obedience in responding to the Lord’s call.

Look at how unqualified Paul felt about serving the Lord.
Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people,
(Ephesians 3:8a)

So how did he overcome his feelings of inferiority?
Paul recognized the source of his new path, knew that it was
a ‘gift’ from God’s grace, realized the impact and importance
of his efforts, and had confidence that God would not call him
to serve without equipping him with what he needed.
this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles
the boundless riches of Christ (Ephesians 8:3b)

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold
wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal
purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord
(Ephesians 3:10-11)

In him and through faith in him we may
approach God with freedom and confidence.
(Ephesians 3:12)

Preaching to the ‘lowly’ Gentiles (who were not a part
of the ‘elitist’ Jews) was a monumental challenge for
anyone, and especially for someone who had been
persecuting Christians before being changed by God.

God calls each of us to an area of service, and although it might
seem like ‘no big deal’ to others, to us it may seem as huge as
what Paul was called to do, because we are as uncomfortable
as he was when God called him to preach to the Gentiles.

Not only did God call him to become a missionary,
but Paul also became an encourager of others.
He was sensitive to the possibility of others
becoming discouraged when God calls them to serve.

Paul knew that the death of Jesus meant that others
would be called to become part of God’s plan as well.
He did not want them to refuse to serve, or to quit serving,
when they witnessed, or heard of, the way he suffered
as a result of his efforts to please the Lord.

He wanted them to know that his mission involved much
more than himself and his desires – it was God’s purpose
for him to follow a new path that would result in befitting others.
I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because
of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
(Ephesians 3:13)

ACTION:
Just as Paul was called to serve, God has
plans for every individual he changes (saves).
If He saved us for no apparent purpose,
then how much have we really been changed?

When we are given salvation from God,
shouldn’t we have a desire to be used by Him?
We might be thinking, “No, I don’t need anything else to do”
but deep in our heart, we probably all want Him to
show us how we can contribute to His earthly ministry.

Our greatest challenge to overcome is to accept the area of
service He chooses, because there is a strong possibility it
will be outside our comfort zone, and most definitely
it will require exchanging selfishness for selflessness.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for thinking that the
salvation You gave me is the end of the story. Help
me to not only appreciate, but to embrace the joy
of knowing that You not only saved me, but You
also created a new path for me to follow that would
benefit others, and give me a new purpose for living.
Thank You for considering me worthy to serve You,
even though I feel unworthy and unqualified. Give
me the confidence and encouragement I need in
order to answer Your call for me and my life. Thank
You for the opportunity to show my gratefulness for
what Jesus did for me. Help me to live all He died
for me to be.”