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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue # 343 December 5, 2001 The Burden of Serving
Does serving God ever seem to be a burden? Do you wonder why you bother sometimes? Sometimes, serving seems to be more work than it is worth. It’s not supposed to be that way. There are times of trial and testing in every ministry, large or small, but if it is always a burden, something is wrong. To explain, let me take you to a couple of places in Scripture: Since the death and resurrection of Jesus, believers no longer need the Jewish priesthood to intervene on our behalf. Believers are called to be a kingdom of priests. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV Perhaps you’re thinking, "Great, so now we’re priests, more work. Just what we don’t need, another burden." Serving God was never meant to be a burden. God gave the opportunity to serve as priests as a gift. But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Numbers 18:7a NIV How can service be a gift? It’s simple, when you love someone; you want to give to him or her. Yet what can we give to a God who created us and owns everything? We return His love by serving. The fact that He has given us a way to show our love is a blessing. It’s like parents giving a young child a couple of dollars to buy a Christmas gift for the parent. Yes the parent really paid for their own gift, but the child is delighted to give and the parents are delighted to receive. If your serving is a burden, it’s time to examine why you are serving. Are you serving out of obligation not love? Are you serving to get the admiration of other people? Maybe your ego gets in the way. You want to serve in a more "prestigious" spot and have forgotten that there is no such thing as an unimportant ministry role. The person who cuts the church grass is needed just as much as the elders or pastor. The person who sits and listens to a lonely shut-in is as important as the big name evangelist. Perhaps you are serving for the right reasons, but are serving in the wrong spot. Ask Him to guide you to where He wants you to serve. There is a spot that He has prepared just for you to serve, a true gift from God. If you haven’t found it yet, don’t give up, keep looking, it is there for you. Until next time, may everything you do in His name bless both you and God. God bless. Kevin Do you know the God who walks with you in all things, the God who loves you unconditionally and forgives those who ask? If not email me and I’ll share a few Bible verses about the importance of a relationship with Jesus and a prayer that will make it possible. To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
© 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
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