Authentic ServingSample

Right Now Authentic serving does not expect immediate return for our service. Look at today's verses. The servant works one day, comes in from the field and says, “All right, well who’s making dinner for me? Where is my dinner? I’ve worked and now I want someone to work for me.” No, it’s not that way. Don’t be serving God for something you’re going to get back, or you’re going to be disappointed. That can happen pretty often. If you’ve been around church long enough, you find out people have certain reasons they stop serving. And those reasons usually have something to do with their expectations. 1. No Appreciation. Nobody thanked me. Nobody said anything. Matthew 25 and 1 Corinthians 3 make it really clear we serve the Lord Jesus. It’s like you’ve only been working for a week but payday is twice a month and you’re upset you don’t have a paycheck. The payoff, the appreciation, will come from Jesus Christ Himself. 2. No Results. I’ve poured myself into this work, and I thought this would happen, and it didn’t. 1 Corinthians 3:7 says it is God who decides results. You cannot control outcomes; all you can do is control effort. 3. No Fulfilling Feeling. I want to feel fulfilled. I want to feel happy. Ministry is hard work. There are seasons to ministry. Sometimes we bear much fruit, and sometimes we are pruned. Then we bear more fruit, if we don’t quit while we are being pruned. The discipline of authentic serving does not expect immediate returns, nor does it base itself on any feeling. It bases itself on the love of Christ and His example of service. We are to serve for His sake, not vice versa. Prayer – Father, teach me to serve as Your Son did. I find myself serving for all the wrong reasons, or quitting because I get nothing back. Break me of that Lord! Help me to serve solely because I love You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.