The Holy Spirit enables us to serve in the kingdom of God. In spiritual matters, he enables us to work miracles, heal, prophesy, to preach the good news of the kingdom and teach the word of God. In physical matters, he enables us to serve one another in love, to carry each other’s earthly burdens. The Holy Spirit helps to become servants just the LORD Jesus Christ is. The greatest in the kingdom of Heaven is the servant (Mathew 23.11).
All the children of God are called to serve one another and carry one another’s burdens. Every child of God is called to serve in spiritual matters. Every child of God is called to serve in all spiritual matters, but not everyone can serve in all spiritual matters because not everyone is fully grown to maturity. Each person serves in his capacity, according to the grace he has received from God. Physical and spiritual service is valuable and very precious in the house of God. It is by loving and serving one another that we are known as the Lord’s disciples.
The greatest among the children of God are those who serve.
If anyone wants to be first he must be last of all and servant of all (Mar 9.35).
The person who is greatest among you must be your servant (Mat.23:11).
But he told them, "The kings of the gentiles lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But you are not to do so. On the contrary, the greatest among you should become like the youngest, and the one who leads should become like the one who serves. Because who is greater, the one who sits at the table, or the one who serves? It is the one at the table, isn't it? But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22.25-26).
A minister or servant of the word of God feeds God’s people with his words for spiritual growth unto the image of Christ. He serves the people with fresh bread from heaven. He receives the words in his heart and release them to the people as God gives him utterance. The written text cannot penetrate deep into the human spirit to cause a change from within, but words which are spirit goes deep into the human spirit. Words released from the heart in faith become spirit and they go deep dividing the soul and the spirit, and bone and marrow (Heb 4.12). The words of Apostle Peter on the day of Pentecost cut deep into the heart of the people, causing them to cry out for salvation.
To serve or carry the earthly burden of your brother means to, “wash your brother’s feet”. The servant is always ready in all humility and cheerfulness, to lovingly serve his brother in their areas of need. It could be to cook food for them as Martha was doing, or care for a sick brother, or show hospitality, or clean a brother’s house, or wash his feet if this is the sign of welcome in your locality. In the days of the Lord, only slaves washed their master’s feet. This was one of the lowest duties of the slave. To wash one another’s feet means to make yourselves slaves to one another. It means to do the lowest tasks for them. It is the deepest expression of love and humility. The Lord Jesus, though Lord and Master, washed his disciples’ feet and commanded them to do same to one another.
When Jesus had washed their feet and put on
his outer robe, he sat down again and told them, "Do you realize
what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are
right because that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher,
have washed your feet, you must also wash one another's feet. I
have set an example for you, so that you may do as I have done to
you. Truly, I say to you with certainty, a servant is not greater
than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who
sent him. If you understand these things, how blessed you are if
you put them into practice!
(John 13.3-17)
The children of God face diverse kinds of hardships and challenges on the earth. A helping hand eases the weight of their burdens and this pleases the LORD. Some suffer loneliness, others sickness, poverty, work overload, imprisonment, persecution, etc. Whatever the kind of burden, we must readily help one another in all possible ways that we can. Of what good it is to bless your brother and tell him to stay well but you do nothing to help him, when he is sick, hungry or is in prison. We should pray earnestly for the Lord to help us to rightly discern the needs of our brethren and, enable us to be of assistance to them. It is the will of the Heavenly father that you live selflessly. We must not always look at what others have not done for us, rather we should look at what we have done for others. It is by serving one another that we truly belong to one another. It is by serving one another that we become one. We must give ourselves to another in all humility in all things that benefits the other. We must refuse pride which comes in the way of love and unity. We must be one as the Lord Jesus and the Father are one.
A believer who is a mother should assume the position of a servant and serve her husband and children in all possible ways. Do the cooking, the cleaning, dishes, without any remorse or grumbling but with all cheerfulness of heart. A believer who is a husband should serve his household in all possible ways too. He should work not for himself (to fulfill a career or earn big money), rather he should work to earn bread for his household. He should do so humbly and cheerfully, cherishing his wife and children. They should perform all other roles with humble and cheerful hearts. In church, the children of God should copy the example of Stephen. They should serve in all administrative roles that can keep the church running. In all relationships, we must identify the other party as our master and serve him. We must identify those whom God has put under our care and serve them.
A slave does not complain or grumble when he serves his master. The slave accepts his slavery. Christians are a slave to nothing or no one except to love God and man (Rom 13.8).
A slave serves to satisfy his master. He seeks the joy of his lord. We should seek the joy of our brethren. Our brethren may never repay our service, but God will repay us (Luke 6.35).
The slave does not own himself, but he belongs to his master. He does not live to please himself but to please his master. Christians belong to one another (Eph 4.25).
We must be servants in our hearts. We must serve one another without expecting pay. We must consider the need of our fellow brother. We must serve one another without complaining or grumbling. Help one another in all possible ways without expecting any reward. We must serve one another even if our fellow brother is the least person we think deserves our service. The Lord Jesus washed the feet of the disciple he knew was going to hand him to death (Judas Iscariot).
When you have done everything you were ordered to do, say, 'We are worthless servants. We have done only what we ought to have done'" (Luke 17.10).
All things must be done in the Lord and for the Lord. We can do all things through Christ (Phil 4.13). Do not trust in physical strength. Any work done in human strength will always glorify self.
Whoever speaks must speak God's words. Whoever serves must serve with the strength that God supplies, so that in every way God may be glorified through Jesus, the Messiah. Glory and power belong to him forever and ever! Amen (1 Peter 4.11).
The power of the Lord is released only when we see our weaknesses and acknowledge his strength.
but he has told me, "My grace is all you need, because my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most happily boast about my weaknesses, so that the Messiah's power may rest on me (2Co 12.9).
We must refuse the power of natural life before we can tap into the power of the life of Christ. In Christ, we have overcome the world. In him, we are strong. The journey is for the weak and not the strong. The weak will run in the power of Christ and win but the strong will run in the power of their natural life and fail. Apart from him, we can do nothing.
If you serve your household or your brethren or the church, or the community, you must do it in the strength that the Lord provides. You must live the life of the spirit. We must be careful not to do anything from our natural lives but from the life of Christ, the overcoming life, so that in all things, all glory will be given to the Lord of glory.
But I am among you as one who serves (Luke 22.25-26).
The LORD, even though he is master came not to be served but to serve. His life was poured out as a ransom for many. He went about doing good deeds and finally died on the cross. He showed us the example of servanthood. When the chief servant (the Lord Jesus) comes back, he will serve us again.
How blessed are those servants whom the master finds watching for him when he comes! I tell you with certainty, he himself will put on an apron, make them sit down at the table, and go around and serve them (Luk 12.37).
The Lord shows his servants the works that they are expected to do before his return. His very earthly life and ministry was an example of the kind of works his servants are supposed to do. The servant who knows the will of the master but does not work, is the wicked and lazy servant.
The Lord wants all his servants to work and bear fruit for his kingdom. The servant who does not know what he wants to be done, should enquire of the Lord. All his servants are expected to work and bear fruit. When the Lord returns, he will reward each of his servants according to their works.
The servant who does not do anything for the Lord will be given many lashes of the Cane. The servants who works for the Lord will be given great positions of authority in the Lord’s coming kingdom.