Serve Your Way Through
But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you [1 Samuel 12:24].
QUOTE: Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world (Desmond Tutu).
When we are going through a biscuit flying season, we may ask ourselves some questions or say some profound things! Here are just a few examples: “Just leave me alone and let me pout for a minute.” “Why should I care about others right now, I’m hurting?” “Can’t I just take care of me for once?” “You don’t understand what I’m going through, why should I serve or do anything for someone else when I’m the one that needs help?” “Why can’t someone take care of me this time?”
Well maybe again that was just me, because years ago I struggled with these issues. But God, in his infinite grace wisdom as always showed me ways to work on my thinking. I don’t have an outdoor adventure story or anything dramatic that happened for this lesson because it came from some of my darkest moments. It was during a time when I couldn’t even get outside because I was literally bedridden from grief, shame, confusion, and pain. However, I was asking the Lord to show me one little thing to shift my thinking so I could at least get out of bed.
Here again, came that quiet, calm, powerful voice saying “SERVE”. Serve your way out of bed, serve your way outside, serve your way to creating an income again, serve your way to staying connected; simply serve others. Now, to be honest, I was like, “Lord, how am I going to serve when I don’t even have the strength to get out of bed?” I thought we typically serve from our overflow, and at the time I had no flow let alone overflow. So how was this going to work?
What the Lord was trying to show me is that there are different levels of serving no matter what season we are in; we can serve. It doesn’t always mean that we are serving in a public place or serving where it can be seen by others. It means doing the right thing when no one else can see what you are doing. It’s learning to have a heart of service no matter what is happening in our lives.
The Lord showed me, in that moment, that I didn’t have to serve at the level I was serving before flying biscuits. I also needed to stop comparing myself to other people and where I WAS. I could do simple little things, one baby step at a time. He showed me that I could send a picture, a quote or something I knew would be meaningful to a friend. That little act of sending a text and thinking of someone else not only provided my friend some joy; it lifted my spirits a tiny bit too. It allowed my mind to shift in a different direction and off myself for a moment. It gave me just enough “umph” so I could focus on doing one more positive thing. It was doing those tiny little things that eventually added up to bigger things.
Through this, I had to learn how to balance the way I gave to myself first before I could give to others. I had to learn how to give myself time to grieve, time to rest, time to think, time to pray, time to process, and time to simply be still and listen to God. I was also shown how to love myself first and learn to believe I Am Who God Says I Am.
SERVE YOUR WAY THROUGH: Serving is simply thinking about someone else instead of ourselves. It can be something tiny or mind-blowing. What God cares about is our hearts and the intentions behind our serving.
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DAILY ACTION STEP
Say to yourself out loud
I AM WHO GOD SAYS I AM
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FRIENDLY REMINDER: Take out your journal and write down your thoughts, takeaways, and progress for this week!
TAKEAWAY GEMS
- Regardless of what season or where we are in life, we can find some small way to serve others.
- Serving allows us to experience those divine provisions.
- Serving allows us to experience joy and peace.
- Serving helps us to be more like Jesus.
- Serving increases our belief in God’s Word.
- Serving allows us to experience God’s presence in new ways.
- Serving is just simply good for our heart and mind.
- Serving helps us to have stellar thoughts vs. stinking thinking.
- There are different levels of service.
- Learn to serve right where we currently are.
QUESTIONS TO “THINK ON”
- What are ways you are gifted to serve others?
- How does serving help you?
- What are some ways Jesus showed us how to serve that we can do in today’s world?
ACTION STEP: SERVE: make it a habit to do at least one intentional act of service for someone every week, even if this is out of your comfort zone. Put it on your calendar if you need to as a gentle reminder.
DAILY SCRIPTURES
DAY #1: God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. [1 Peter 4:10]
DAY #2: But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you [1 Samuel 12:24].
DAY #3: For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. [Galatians 5:13]
DAY #4: Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me. [John 12:26]
DAY #5: But be very careful to obey all the commands and the instructions that Moses gave to you. Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul. [Joshua 22:5]
DAY #6: But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. [Joshua 24:15]
DAY #7: Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back. [Luke 6:38]