{Day Twenty-Five} :: The Heart of a Servant

Sacrificing and serving. Two tough things to do. They kind of go against my natural desire to be selfish, to do what I think is best for me. In fact, I think sacrificing and serving goes against everyone's nature - our sinful nature.

But Jesus called us to these things, and he modeled them with his life. So when I think of Mom and Dad and how much they sacrificed for us and served us (and others), I always wondered how they did it. And it all goes back to something I talked about two weeks ago: abiding in Christ.

A servant's heart cannot be produced under our own will no matter how hard we try. Oh, we might appear to be servants on the surface. We might look nice and seem giving. But there will always be the undercurrent of a self-serving attitude: we do for others so they will do for us, and when they don't we get angry or bitter. Or we do for others to gain approval or status and the list goes on.

But the very same resting, remaining and dwelling in Him that produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control also transforms hearts and minds. And it can mold us into true servants who live and sacrifice without strings attached and with a deep understanding of our lasting value as His children.

Tomorrow I'll cover one more thing that sets us up for a life of sacrifice and service, a life living the language of love. But first I challenge you to take stock of how you are serving. Does it come from selfish desires? Or are you rooted in Him so deeply it is a natural overflow of the Spirit's fruit in you?