On This Day: The Freedom of Serving in Jesus’ Name

 

“But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave” (Matthew 20:26-2)

 

   I cannot say how liberating it was to have this clarification from God’s word that felt like God’s personal comfort to me.

   We live in a world that measures success in terms of influence and followers. Social media has exacerbated the fleshly tendency to be first, to be noticed above others. Even in our daycare, we had to make a rule that any time we line up it is from youngest to oldest because ALL of them want to be first in line, the oldest don’t care about the youngest, and some are utterly crushed if they didn’t make it to the lineup spot ahead of everyone else.

   I think what was so liberating about this time in God’s word was that it made me think of serving others as a freedom, something I can do just between me and my Savior. I am the only one (among people) who knows whether my heart is in servant mode in anything I do.

   So, if I can look my Master/Savior in the face, so to speak, and know that I am serving his people in love, and truly doing it for him more than I am doing it for them, I can be at complete peace in Christ no matter whether or not I am noticed, appreciated, thanked, or honored. God’s will is: “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Galatians 5:13).

   When Jesus spoke of the coming judgment, he described his followers as sheep who did many good things for him. When they asked how and when they did anything for him (since they could only remember doing these things for others), Jesus replied “‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me’” (Matthew 25:40).

   This is the freedom of the children of God, to serve Jesus Christ our Lord by serving the people of God in love. If that is what we are doing today, we are free no matter what reaction we get from anyone at all. Jesus is pleased that we want to be one with him as he delights to be one with his Father. 

© 2024 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)