What does it mean to "serve Christ?" The word "serve" can mean performing duties or services; it can also mean attending someone, as in serving a meal. The word is used many times and in many forms in the Bible. If you have spent any time in the local church, you have been asked to serve God in some fashion. You may serve God by teaching a class, singing in the choir, going on a mission trip, feeding the homeless, or mowing the church yard. And of course, all these activities are good and needed. All of us learn from what we are taught, and more so, from what we have caught! My idea of service (that I have gleaned from watching others) is to do things for God and hope those things are pleasing to Him. I've heard prayers like this, "Father, I pray our service is pleasing to You." The focus on this "service" is what I do. If my heart is in the right place, then hopefully God will be happy with me. Paul says in Romans 14:18, "For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved my men." When I read this verse, it seemed to be suggesting the same old dogma: serve God and you will be acceptable. However, the Greek word for "serves" in this verse is "douleuo." It means, "to be a slave," "to obey," or "submit to." If you owned slaves, what would you consider to be a great slave? The perfect slave is a slave who does exactly what the master commands. A disobedient slave is useless. A slave who loves their master and has the best of intentions to serve their master by predicting the master's needs is equally useless. The master doesn't need a slave who goes out and tries to anticipate what might please the master. The master needs an obedient slave who listens first, and then acts. Serving Christ is not about you or I doing anything for God. Because we are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), our core desire is to serve God. So how do we serve Him if it is not by offering our gifts and talents to Him? Jesus Christ is the only person who has ever lived the "Christian" life perfectly; no human has ever come close. The Scripture tells us we have Christ in us (Rom. 8:10; Gal. 2:20). Our only hope to live the Christian life is through Christ. God is asking us to let Christ live His Life in, with, and through us. In every moment of our life, we must submit to (or "douleuo") Christ in us. We don't have to anticipate what might please God and then... read more here
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Tom Price (Georgia, USA) is a contributing writer for IOM America - Transformational Biblical Worldview & Exchange Life Development.
Permission obtained from writer to republish Serving Christ. Originally pubished on blogger Living Life! (Christ's Life Expressed through Tom and Tess Price) at tomtess1.blogspot.com on June 23, 2014. IOM America editorial changes to original approved by author.
All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible,© Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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