IS ANYONE BEING SERVED?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
“And He died for all, that those who live should
no longer live for themselves, but for Him who
died for them and was raised again.”
(2 Corinthians 5:15)

MEDITATION:
Songwriter and singer, Bob Dylan. wrote a song titled,
    “Gotta Serve Somebody” 
The theme of the song was,
    “no matter who you are, or where you are in life, you
      still have to serve somebody; there is always someone
      above you” 
Even the CEO of a company serves and reports to the stockholders.

One of the lines in the song is,
    “Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord,
      but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”
I don’t know if Dylan is a Christian or not, but this line
in his song is true. We are serving some human or group
here on earth, but we are also serving either Satan or the
Lord.

Have you given any thoughts to your purpose in life?
I can’t speak for girls, but I am qualified to speak for
boys/men, since I was/am one.

Considering how undisciplined us guys can be, it may
be surprising to know that most of us grow up with the
idea of getting a job, getting married, and providing for
our families.

Some want to follow in their dad’s footsteps and make
their career the same as his. There are many guys who
have thoughts and dreams of becoming a professional
athlete, an entertainer, etc.

But even with dreams of greatness, we still have thoughts
of families and careers. It takes some of us a little longer
than others to realize our dream of having a career in the
spotlight is just not going to happen.

This realization can cause some to start making bad decisions
until they mature enough to accept the reality that they need
to pursue a different career. For those who realize it early, it
can have a positive impact on their lives and they will start
pursuing a college education, or some type of formal training
to teach them a specific skill.

There are some who are just not ‘cut out’ for higher education,
and it’s good for the world to have people like that. Some jobs
require a formal education, but other jobs are just as important.
We need men and women who know how to work with their hands.
Imagine the look of America and the world without factory workers,
farmers, firemen, policemen, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, etc.

The workforce needs to have white collar, blue collar and gray
collar workers – they are all equally important. The challenge
for each ‘boy’ and ‘girl’ is to determine which category best fits
them, and then look for opportunities to develop a career in that
area.

One question we need to consider is,
    “Once I have discovered the career that best suits me, and
      I have a family and am providing for them, what then?”
We may have a career that is well-defined and established,
but we may wonder what other things are important in life.

Should all our time and energy be devoted to a successful
career, or is there more to life? At the end of our career,
what new goals should we have? Are we prepared, and
are we qualified to achieve any new goals?

For those without faith in Jesus Christ, having a job and
providing for their families may be the extent of their goals.
But, the scriptures remind us that believers should have
another goal, in addition to pursuing a successful career.

Once we have received God’s salvation, we are given a new focus.
In addition to our efforts to provide for ourselves and our families,
we are told to “live for Christ” (the One who died for us and rose
again). The good news is, God will equip us with what we need for
serving Him.

Some are guilty of saying things like,
    “I really don’t have time to live for Jesus, right now”
They have convinced themselves that being a good father and husband,
or mother and wife, means they are doing exactly what the Lord wants
them to do.

Of course that’s true, but God’s Word tells us that more
is expected from those who belong to Him; those who are
members of His family. Even though we may have a good
understanding of our responsibilities and are diligently
trying to do all that is expected of us, we might be ignoring
or overlooking God’s expectations to “live for the Lord” as well.

If we work for a fair and generous boss, we are more inclined to
put forth special efforts to, not just do a good job, but to do a
great job. However, no matter how good our boss may be to us,
he or she can never come close to blessing us in the same way
Jesus did.

If we sincerely appreciate the sacrifice Jesus made for us (which
gave us the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven with Him), then
it makes sense that we would want to “live for Him”, doesn’t it?

How do we live for Him? We begin by consistently spending
time with Him (through prayer, worship, bible reading, etc.).
We dedicate ourselves to obeying His commands. We ask Him
to show us our spiritual gift (or gifts), which are given to each
person when they receive salvation from the Lord.

When talking to other believers, Paul said:
    For just as each of us has one body with many members,
    and these members do not all have the same function, so
    in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member
    belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according
    to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,
    then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving,
    then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage,
    then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously;
    if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it
    cheerfully.
    (Romans 12:4-8)

Once we know our spiritual gift (or gifts), we should be using
them to serve the Lord in whatever way He wants us to serve.
It is important for us to spend our lives living for Him. And
when we do, not only does it change our own lives for the better,
but we can also contribute to a life-changing experience for those
around us.

God is the One who convicts and saves everyone, and He gives
us an opportunity to be involved in His ministry as well. What
a great goal for all Christians – to know we can have a positive
influence on the lives of others, which can determine where they
will spend eternity.

Paul says that when we are saved, we ‘no longer live for ourselves’,
but we ‘live for Him’. He encourages us to replace our selfishness
with selflessness. It is no longer ‘all about us’, it is about others and
Jesus Christ.

Paul realized that:
    He was accountable to Christ for his service, and at the
    judgment seat of Christ, he wanted to be able to give a
    good account of how he served Him.
        So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we
        are at home in the body or away from it. For we
        must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
        so that each of us may receive what is due us for
        the things done while in the body, whether good
        or bad.
        (2 Corinthians 5:9-10)

    Christ’s love was the motivation for his desire to see
    others enjoy the same love that he had experienced.
        For Christ’s love compels us, because we are
        convinced that One died for all, and therefore
        all died.
        (2 Corinthians 5:14)

    A lost and dying world needs Christ, our Savior.
        We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,
        as though God were making His appeal
        through us. We implore you on Christ’s
        behalf: Be reconciled to God.
        (2 Corinthians 5:20)

ACTION:
Have you included “living for Jesus” in your own life? If you
are a believer and are not living for Him, then why not? Do
you have concerns for those around you, or do you have a
self-centered attitude?

Do your personal feelings and emotions control you, or have
you invited the Lord to take control of your life? Are you
selfishly focused on yourself, or has the Lord changed you to
a selfless person with the same concern for others that He has?

What is your spiritual gift? Have you tried diligently to find
out what gift the Lord has given you? If you are a Christian,
you have been given at least one spiritual gift. It is a valuable
asset that God expects you to use while serving Him. How are
you using your gift? What report will you give at the judgment
seat of Christ?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for my salvation. Thank
You for the spiritual gift You have given me. Forgive
me if I am not using Your gift as I should. Help me to
replace my selfishness with selflessness. Create in me
a desire and passion to obey and serve You, and to see
others learning about Your love. Give me a desire to share
Your love with others. Help me to realize that talking to
You about others, will make it easier for me to talk to others
about You. Lord. You can read my heart, and You know if
there are any of Your commands that I have chosen not to
obey. I want to live a life that pleases You over pleasing
myself. Forgive me for my disobedience and create in me
a new heart of obedience and love for You above all things,
including my self-centeredness.”

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