SERVANT HEART part 4
Part 4
•The Cause
Now that we know we should serve and know how to serve, we should ask ourselves, why do we serve? Where does a servant’s heart come from? Constantly loving and serving others is hard! Where do we look for our own encouragement and strength? The answer is found in the person of Christ. Paul very intentionally incorporates this when he speaks about the servant heart saying, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Why should we serve? Because Christ served us and He is in us. The God of the entire universe humbled himself and became a servant. He came down to earth and gave his life for you. Our encouragement, example, and strength to have a servant heart come from the Jesus Christ and his promise to work in you.
•Living out the Servant's Heart
The next time you are hesitant to serve or get really irritated at someone, maybe a sibling or a friend, consider what God did for you. When you’re finding it hard to love and serve someone, remember this, Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
While you were lost in sin, weak and ungodly, Christ died for you. If you are a Christian, then you have received this gift. How can you be unloving to others when the greatest love has been poured out for you? It’s as if you have been given a billion dollars, but when one person asks for a penny, you refuse to give it to them! We have been given infinite love by God, so let’s follow the example of Christ and take up a servant’s heart as we love one another.
•The Cause
Now that we know we should serve and know how to serve, we should ask ourselves, why do we serve? Where does a servant’s heart come from? Constantly loving and serving others is hard! Where do we look for our own encouragement and strength? The answer is found in the person of Christ. Paul very intentionally incorporates this when he speaks about the servant heart saying, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Why should we serve? Because Christ served us and He is in us. The God of the entire universe humbled himself and became a servant. He came down to earth and gave his life for you. Our encouragement, example, and strength to have a servant heart come from the Jesus Christ and his promise to work in you.
•Living out the Servant's Heart
The next time you are hesitant to serve or get really irritated at someone, maybe a sibling or a friend, consider what God did for you. When you’re finding it hard to love and serve someone, remember this, Romans 5:6-8 says, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
While you were lost in sin, weak and ungodly, Christ died for you. If you are a Christian, then you have received this gift. How can you be unloving to others when the greatest love has been poured out for you? It’s as if you have been given a billion dollars, but when one person asks for a penny, you refuse to give it to them! We have been given infinite love by God, so let’s follow the example of Christ and take up a servant’s heart as we love one another.
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