Based on “Christ, Our Example” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 8/7-8/10,
Message #6058; Daily Devotional #6 - “An Attitude of Service”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): A while back, my dad told me about an unusual experience he had with a co-worker at lunch. They sat down at the table, and the man my dad was with pulled out a stack of ones that added up to $20. My dad thought that was odd, but didn’t question him about it. When the server came up she looked at the stack of money with curiosity as well. The man explained to the waitress that this stack of money would be her tip. How generous, my dad thought to himself. However, the man then said there was a catch. If at any time he didn’t feel as if he was being served to his standards a bill was going to be taken away. It was up to her how much she would get as her tip. My dad said that was the best service he had ever gotten at any restaurant, and she definitely got a well deserved tip.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): Let me ask you a question. If you were that server who was assigned to that table, would you work harder knowing that there was going to be a greater reward depending on your service? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. (Matthew 16:27) God in heaven has a huge stack of blessing and rewards waiting for us. It’s simply up to us if we choose to serve in order to receive. I can’t tell you how many times I probably lost out on a blessing because I was too busy with my own life, serving self, instead of others. As a teacher, I had to head back to work this past week. Let me tell you, my body still hasn’t adjusted to the 4:30 wake up call. I give myself a half hour of devotion time before starting my morning routine, but for some reason (I say with sarcasm) I woke up late and didn’t get to it in time. So I decided before I started the day at work I was going to read the CCM devotional online. Now let me back up by saying that every year I start out praying that God would show me what these students need and what I need to base my year on, either a verse, a quote, whatever the Lord shows me. As I sat reading the devotional, one sentence jumped out at me as if God had sent it to me directly. Isn’t it amazing when He does that? And I quote, “Greatness, in the eyes of God, is not measured by our accomplishments or outstanding achievements; rather it’s measured by humbleness and a willingness to put others first before ourselves.” We often get into the mentality that greatness is truly our accomplishments, either through work, church recognition, or simply our achievements, but we forget that it is only through humbleness and willingness to serve others. Serve wholeheartedly, as you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for what ever good he does, whether he is slave or free. (Ephesians 6:7-8) I typed up that sentence from the devotional, printed it out and stuck it on the wall, in a place that only if you were sitting at my desk you would be able to see it. This is my mission this school year: To put others before self. Jesus’ whole life was devoted in this manner. He came to serve, not to be served. Granted, He wasn’t working for a stack of one dollar bills, He was working wholeheartedly for the Lord. Do you think Jesus was blessed because of it? Just look around—He is still being blessed by the service He did for His Lord, and in turn we are being blessed for it, so that we will go out and bless others.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): I asked a question earlier: If you were a server assigned to that table would you work harder knowing there was going to be a greater reward depending on your service? Take a moment and reflect on that. What would your motives be? Will your service be for your own gain or blessing, or will it be from a true desire to serve the Lord? We should have a joy in serving others, and it should be our focus. Think of different ways you could serve others this week, not to gain a better tip, but in an attitude of service.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Hebrews 11:24-26
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Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673
All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted.