Are you selfish in your service?

There are tons of opportunities to serve the Lord, especially now and in the coming weeks and months. Be careful that you serve the Lord as He leads, not as you desire to serve. We are jars of clay, and such cannot dictate to the Potter what we would like to do. He brought the storm; He knows what He is doing; if we follow His leading, we will see how He is advancing His kingdom. If we don’t, we’re going to get frustrated and burned out, which leads to bad choices.

Samson was blessed with supernatural power, but he served the Lord in the manner in which he chose. He didn’t want any help and didn’t work with others. Sure, he performed great feats of strength, but he didn’t accomplish anything for God’s kingdom because he was serving his own desires. We never see him trusting the Lord, and it looks like he sought to drown his frustrations of not accomplishing anything by hooking up with Delilah, who betrayed him. It wasn’t until he gave his life to the Lord’s service that he could be used of the Lord to deliver his people. It cost him his life, and he was ok with that. It’s a shame that he didn’t do this before he was imprisoned and had his eyes gouged out.

Compare this to Jesus, and we see God the Son become a man, and He is blessed with supernatural power in Holy Spirit. He went where God sent Him, He discipled the ones that God gave Him, He taught what the Lord told Him to teach, He served any person that the Lord led Him to serve, no matter their race or spiritual background. He was completely at the Lord’s service, died on the cross for our sin and rose from the grave. Jesus advanced His kingdom so effectively that it is still advancing 2000 years later. And He did NOT do it by Himself, we were chosen to do it with Him and with each other.

We must follow the example of Christ, not Samson. We must trust Holy Spirit’s conviction. Your strength, wisdom, abilities, spiritual gifts, spiritual callings, finances, blessings—these are all from the Lord. Submit to Christ, watch for what He opens up to you, and walk in faith. Serve alongside others, because the Lord works with people, not superhero wannabes. Do not let fear of _______ keep you from it, and as the Lord’s plan unfolds, you will be led into a whole new level of closeness to the Lord and with others.

Mark 12:29-31—Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and [y’all] shall love the Lord [y’all’s] God with all [y’all’s] heart, and with all [y’all’s] soul and with all [y’all’s] mind, and with all [y’all’s strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love [y’all’s] neighbor as [y’allself].’ There is no commandment greater than these.”