Service Clarity

Luke 2: ³⁶ Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; ³⁷ and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. ³⁸ And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

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“Would you serve on this committee?” someone asked. “Yes, of course” was my answer. “Would you serve as a lead” “Yes, of course” I said. “Would you run a special project, help with the books, lead another group and teach?” “Um… yes?” I said.

• There were times when I got burned out because I could not say not to the church leaders.
• There were times when I got burned out because I thought I “had” to serve.
• There were times when I felt I must be closer to the LORD because I was working so hard.

Anna was a prophetess who was dedicated to the LORD. She served the LORD in a way that was different from most thinking. She fasted, prayed and told people about JESUS becoming a human to redeem the world. Her service was easily done.

• GOD wants me to serve HIM.
• GOD wants me to fast, pray and tell people about HIM.
• GOD wants me to not burn out rather serve HIM with my current gifts, talents and financial situation.

“MY yoke is easy and MY burden is light stands out to me, yet many people in the church are worn out because the leaders are hard task masters. GOD never said “Work your fingers to the bone” nor did HE say “Try harder.” GOD says “I made you just as you are and I AM pleased with you, just speak of MY SON, fast and pray.” My service is simplified this day.

• Are you worried that you are not pleasing GOD?
• Do you think you are not doing enough because someone judged you into guilt?
• Can you stop trying to please GOD so hard as the task masters dictate and just be who HE made you to be?

Who will I serve?

Joshua 24: ¹⁴ “Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

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Birds were chirping and the sun was shining bright in the sky.  I could hear the laughter from people outside, yet we were stuck in church listening to a guy hollering about something. As I tried to get comfortable to go to sleep, my mother looked at me with one of those looks. Man! “Why do I have to sit here while everyone else is outside having “fun!?” I immaturely thought to myself. Now that I’m older, I understand.

• Serving GOD is a choice not a sentence.
• Serving GOD is a choice not an inconvenience.
• Serving GOD is a choice not a forced relationship.

It’s real easy to go to another god when I’m looking to get my way. I mean I can find any other god to satisfy my desire for pleasure especially if it won’t tell me to have faith or trust in the unknown or will enable me to tangibly see a pile of money so I can have insurance and security. BUT GOD doesn’t work that way in my life.

• GOD wants me to trust HIM when I can’t see what HE’s doing.
• GOD wants me to love HIM when I don’t feel like loving.
• GOD wants me to choose HIM as a sacrifice rather than a duty.

It’s so easy to become a rotten scoundrel. That path seems to be open and wide and it seems like everyone on it is having “fun” and are “wealthy” and “getting away with it” whatever “it” is. BUT GOD wants something different for me. HE challenges me to stay on HIS path, guiding others back to HIM.

HE doesn’t want me to be nervous about the things of this world because HE holds all of them. HE would rather have me focus on HIM and all these things will be added to me.

• Who or what are you serving?
• Are you following GOD or following your own way?
• Can you trust HIM a little more today and let go of your problems?
• Won’t you let GOD put you back on HIS path?