Authentic ServingSample

It's Not About Me I want to be authentic. I don’t want to keep on thinking, I’ll figure that out later. I want to be what God wants me to be now. And that’s what being authentic is all about. It’s being real and developing the disciplines of a sincere faith. I think a lot of people want to have a genuine, honoring relationship with the Lord. But here’s the thing: It’s not just something you feel, it’s actually something you do. There are disciplines we can develop that lead to the authenticity we so deeply desire. We have studied prayer, fasting, personal Bible study, fellowship, and now we will study the last discipline: authentic serving. Look at Luke 17. This is from the lips of Jesus Christ Himself, the Master Teacher, the greatest Servant who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Here’s the thing: We must not expect God to serve us before we have served Him. The context in Luke 17 is very clear. Jesus is giving an illustration of a man who works for his boss, serving him, and doing his assigned job. This servant comes in from a hard day’s work. (How do you generally feel after a hard day’s work? You feel tired and hungry. That’s how this guy was feeling.) So he comes in and maybe smells something cooking, and most certainly he wants to get something to eat. But the fact of the matter is, he’s a servant. And rather than focusing on what he needs and wants, he continually keeps his primary focus on the master—always the master first; never me first—always what God’s doing first. It’s not about me—not what I want, but what God wants. He’s the Master, not me. We must not expect God to serve us before we have served Him. Prayer – Father, Thank You for Your Word. It is not failing for clarity. Help me to remember You are the Master and I am Your servant. Help my joy be in serving You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.