This final posting about My Top 10 List in the Lord’s Boot Camp focuses on #10 Serving. I am sure that as a child you were told, as was I, to follow the Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That wisdom comes from Jesus when He told people:
Matthew 7:12 (NLT) “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
Jesus also actively set the example for serving others:
Mark 10:43-45 (NLT) “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man [Jesus Christ] came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
What service! How grateful I am that Jesus Christ came to earth for that purpose – to ransom me and you! When asked what the greatest commandment in the law of Moses is, Jesus revealed the heart of the Father by responding with quotes from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18:
Matthew 22:37-40 (NLT) “Jesus replied, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Paul shares on the topic of loving others:
Galatians 5:13 (NLT) “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.”
James gives us a warning about “doing” and not just “hearing” and, also, tells us how to receive a blessing:
James 1:22-25 (NLT) “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
Peter explains how we are equipped to serve:
1 Peter 4:10 (NLT) “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
Warrior, how are you serving God Almighty by serving others? Every intentional and random act of kindness pleases the Lord. A benefit to you of serving others is that service helps take your focus off of yourself, your issues, your problems, your anxieties, your concerns… Those really aren’t for you to hold on to anyway if you believe that all of God’s Word is true, including this passage in Philippians:
Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT) “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Going back to My Top 10 List… when I submit to the Lord, express gratitude and praise to the Him, am intentional about seeking Him though His Word and prayer, listening to Him, and then integrating what He tells me into my life, the result is a desire to respond. Abiding in Him leads us to the response He desires us to make as we fellowship with Him and others, serving Him by serving those around us. I encourage you, warrior, to equip and arm yourself with these tools and weapons from the Boot Camp of Christ!
Raising Warriors 