Rejoice In Serving Others

Rejoice In Serving Others

The idea of serving others is almost a "foreign" idea in today's world when most say: "What's in this for ME?" or "The world OWES me, so pay up!"

However, Jesus' teachings did NOT promote either of these ideas.

"Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve' " (Matthew 4:10 ).
When we serve others in a manner pleasing to God, we are also serving God.

If we are serving others in order to receive the praise of men, then we are NOT serving God, we are serving self or the world, which is serving Satan. Jesus teaches we cannot serve two masters.

"No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon"     (Matthew 6:24).

Jesus, not only taught others to serve, but He Himself served others.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).

In Hebrews 12:28, we are taught to "...serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear."

Jesus understood this principle and tried to help Martha understand it as she complained to Jesus that her sister Mary had left her to serve alone (Luke 10:40-42).   Martha was "distracted with much serving..."    She was cumbered, drawn away, over-occupied; she was too busy about the matter and "worried and troubled about many things."   Can one rejoice in serving while in such a frame of mind as this? Certainly not!   Jesus then taught Martha a very important lesson. Jesus was NOT teaching that serving others is not needed.

Only when we remember to FIRST "choose that good part, which will not be taken away" can we truly rejoice in serving God and others, and "...through love serve one another" (Galatians 5:13).

Rejoice For Freedom

REJOICE FOR FREEDOM

Hope you are rejoicing today with me for the freedom we enjoy in the USA. We need to always remember this freedom was and is being paid for with a great price. Have you stopped to remember this?

Pray for someone you know who is, even now, defending our freedom. Also pray for others whom we do not know who are serving in the military and defending the freedom we enjoy. While you are praying, don't forget to include the families of these! Families are enduring great sacrifices as they face days, weeks, months, etc. without their loved ones who are away.

We need to continually support those serving our country and their families, while we rejoice in the freedom enjoyed in this great land.

As thankful as we are for this physical freedom, there is an even greater freedom that we should seek.   Do you know this freedom? Are you rejoicing in this freedom?

"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:18).

How Can I Rejoice?

BUT HOW CAN WE REJOICE WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN?

How can a young mother rejoice when she has just delivered a stillborn baby? How can a man rejoice when he has just buried his beloved helpmeet? How can a family rejoice when a call has just been received about a horrible accident? How can one who has been betrayed by an unfaithful spouse rejoice? How can a Christian rejoice when she has been hurt deeply by another Christian?

It truly is difficult to rejoice about any of these situations or any other adversities which arise in our lives. As we continue growing as a Christian, we understand, from God's word, how and why we can "rejoice always" (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

For now, let's just focus on the verse we looked at earlier. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4).

Our rejoicing is IN THE LORD, in His love, His care, His mercy. Our rejoicing is because of the hope we can have if we are walking in obedience to God's commandments.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:1-2).

Rejoice In The Lord

REJOICE IN THE LORD

If you are like me, sometimes you just do not feel like rejoicing. Things happen that make us sad; things happen we do not like; things happen that upset us; things happen that hurt us. The list could go on and on. So why make such a "big deal" over rejoicing?

Why? Because God commands us to rejoice in the Lord. We are not rejoicing because of what is happening around us. We are REJOICING IN THE LORD.

Read carefully the following verses and notice the commands; then notice the wonderful promise of God in the last verse!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:4-6);

"and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Remember: obey God's commands and receive His wonderful blessing of the peace of God which surpasses all understanding!