CALLING ALL BELIEVERS – IT’S TIME TO SERVE THE LORD!

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received
to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its
various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one
who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they
should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all
things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him
be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”
(1 Peter 4:10-11)

MEDITATION:
When we are convicted by the Holy Spirit that we are sinners
who are doomed to eternal punishment unless we seek forgiveness
from God and receive His salvation, it can be a time of confusion,
can’t it?

We know that we must pray for God’s forgiveness and commit to
a new life of obedience to His commands, but we might not always
understand the changes we can expect. Our focus is on “getting
right with the Lord” and we may fail to ask questions of those who
are spiritually connected with the Lord.

Additionally, sometimes pastors can be so passionate about ‘stirring
the souls’ of people so they will seek salvation, that they overlook
some basic information to include. It doesn’t mean they are bad
pastors, it just means they are diligently striving to share what they
feel the Lord wants them to share and it can cause them to forget how
new salvation is to a lost person.

We need to be thankful and pray often for the pastors and their
families. They have heard God’s call for them to serve, and have
committed their entire lives to answering His call. It is not an easy
task and they are a work in progress too.

It requires a willingness to be available 24/7, and many other ‘surprises’
they did not expect when they chose to serve the Lord in this capacity.
Additionally, Satan is constantly trying to discourage them and cause
them to lose their effectiveness in sharing God’s Word.

As a new Christian, we need to understand that it is more than just
a decision to ‘try to live better’. It means a complete transformation
from ‘who we were’ to ‘who we have become’.
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation
    has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
    (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Obviously this transformation can be a challenge in many ways. God
knows that and He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us navigate a sinful
world while keeping our faith and trust in Him, and His Son.
    But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you
    into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak
    only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
    (John 16:13)

    But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
    send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind
    you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)

When we were ‘born physically’, we had to learn many new things
like crawling, walking, running, verbal communications, etc. So, it
is reasonable to expect the same thing when we are ‘born spiritually’,
right? In both ‘births’, as we mature, we discover we can experience
new things that might have previously seemed impossible.

The Lord has given an amazing responsibility to those whom He has
saved. He has called believers to be His servants and to continue His
work here on earth. Think about how remarkable this is:
    Almighty God, who needs nothing and can do all things,
    actually invites us to share in what He is doing to draw
    people to Himself, to bring His children to spiritual
    maturity, and to care for those in need.

Being a servant of the Lord requires putting ourselves under
His authority, listening to His instructions, and carrying out
His commands. In our own strength, this task is beyond our
abilities, but when we are walking obediently with Him, He
supplies all that we need.

Our Heavenly Father never gives assignments without equipping
His children with all they need. First He develops a Christ-like
character within us. Then, as we cooperate with His Spirit, God
transforms a self-centered heart into the heart of a servant who
delights in meeting the needs of others.

To further enable Christians to do His work, the Lord gives them
spiritual gifts, which are to be used for the benefit of others. With
specific assignments in mind for each believer, the Holy Spirit
bestows the precise gifts needed to accomplish God’s purposes.

ACTION:
The invitation is issued, the strength and ability are provided, and
all that is needed are some willing servants to participate in the
most exciting adventure on earth. Join with the Lord in His work,
use your spiritual gifts, and make an impact for Christ in this world.
Give the Holy Spirit control of your words and actions as you begin
the next step of your exciting journey as a Christian.

If we don’t feel the Lord has called us to a specific area of service,
then we may not have matured spiritually enough to be ‘useable’.
We need to pray that God will help us in examining ourselves so
we can find the areas of our life that still need to mature.

Maybe our selfishness is causing us to hold on to some of the sins
of our ‘old life’ and preventing us from embracing the selflessness
of our ‘new life’. Maybe we have failed to show an obedience to
some of God’s commands, because they require a radical change
in our habits, actions and attitudes.

At any rate, we have become stagnant in maturing spiritually
and if so, that is a dangerous place for us to be. Why? Because
if we are not moving forward, by default we are moving backwards
toward our ‘old life’.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, help me to be useable by You. Forgive
me if I am still holding on to sins, actions, words, and
attitudes of my ‘old life’. Show me how I can continue
to mature spiritually so I will be qualified for the ‘good
works’ You prepared for me when You physically created
me. Thank You for knowing my abilities and my potential
for serving You. Help me to replace all of my selfishness
with a new attitude of selflessness as I look forward to how
You will show me how to use the spiritual gifts You have
given me to be used in serving You.”

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