Purpose

Mark 10:45 NLT  For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

There is little doubt the most common question and prayer from Christ-followers is to understand God’s will and purpose for their life. While each of us was created with a specific calling, there is a foundational purpose that is often overlooked. When we understand the true calling of Jesus, we will also have one core purpose in life, and that is to serve. This is the calling each believer receives when we surrender our life to Him. A professing Christian that places themselves above serving one another simply does not understand the ministry of Jesus.

We are all choosing to serve something. We are either serving ourselves, focused on our own comfort, or serving the Lord and others. Fear shouts for us to remain comfortable, not to get involved, but God calls us out to step beyond ourselves and let Him show His love and grace to those in need.

Joshua challenged the people of Israel, “choose this day whom you will serve” (Joshua 24:15). Having a life of service is a choice that requires laying down our own desires to fulfill a calling bigger than ourselves. But when we do, God’s promise is this: “But you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.” (Exodus 23:25).

Jesus makes it clear that a life that serves is the ultimate litmus test of authentic Christianity: “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.” (Matthew 25:41-46). He also took the last evening with his disciples to put an exclamation mark on the importance of serving: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:14-15. Asking God to open our eyes and ears to the needs of those around us is to mirror the life of Christ.

James 4:6,10 states, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” The reason God is opposed to the proud is it violates the central theme of Jesus’ ministry. The prideful stand in opposition to the very purpose that Jesus came and died for. To serve, to surrender, to give of himself. We are called to serve both the Lord and others: “to be devoted to one another in love, honoring one another above yourselves, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:10-11).

Serving is not just for those “gifted to serve.” It is a choice, a purposeful decision to fulfill Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” And that includes marriage. Marriage only works when both husband and wife lay down their lives to serve one another. “But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her.” Ephesians 5:24-25.

Serving is not something to be done under compulsion but, like giving, with a willing and cheerful heart. It is more than working in the church nursery once a quarter; it is asking the Lord to reveal needs and opportunities that are all around us. A life focused on serving is foundational to a life that truly reflects our Savior. Ask Him to make you a servant, and then do what Jesus would do.

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Gary and Sandy Anthony

1 Peter 4:10 AMP Just as each one of you has received a spiritual gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace.

Galatians 5:13-14 NIV You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Philippians 2:5-11 NASB Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2 Corinthians 8:9 NASB For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

Titus 2:11-14 NASB For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

John 13:13-17 NASB You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

John 10:14-17 NASB I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.

Luke 22:25-27 NLT Jesus told them, In this world the kings and great men Lord it over their people, yet they are called friends of the people. But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

Galatians 3:13-14 NLT Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” (Deut 21:23) Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.