I like to think of growing in the Lord as a flower blooming in a garden. A flower must acknowledge the other plants in the garden in order to make the entire picture a beautiful one. What would happen if that flower decided that it was the most important one in the bed and allowed itself to take over, stretching up and out so that other plants weren't allowed to grow? I actually have a flower in the bed in my front yard right now that is attempting to take over everything around it. The rose is a vibrant red one, but I have to trim it down so that the other plants can grow. Similarly, people must acknowledge other people so that the world can be a more beautiful place. I think most would agree with this, but what's astounding to me is that the Lord takes us one step further. God asks us to not only acknowledge others but to love and serve others. We are
made to serve others. Hebrews 9:14 says that we are redeemed so that we can serve. The entire reason the Lord sent His son and gave us life is so that we can have eternal life and so that we can give glory back to God. To do this, we must have an understanding of humility. We must understand that we are not our own but we belong to the Lord. We are God's people. Jesus gives us the ultimate example of humility in John chapter 13 when he washes the disciples' feet and again when He, knowing His godliness and righteousness, chooses to die so that the world may have life. When we realize that we are
called to be selfless and humble, we are able to give God glory. This morning in church my pastor defined service as an action done with the right motives through God's power for the church, the community, and the world. He then outlined right motives as the following:
- Obedience
- Joy
- Gratitude
- Forgiveness
- Love (Agape; unconditional)
- Humility
- Selflessness
The reason we are made alive through Christ is all about grace, mercy, and the Lord's love. Through God's power we can joyfully offer ourselves for the service of loving others. Ephesians 2:8 sums it up pretty well by saying that we are
created for good works. We are meant to do good. We are meant to be beautiful flowers, nourished by the living water of the Lord and the Holy Spirit, and we are called to help others grow too. Love and service is the reason for our being, so that we might glorify God, the source of all goodness.
