It is God Himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago He planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.
EPHESIANS 2:10 (LB)
I glorified you on earth by completing down to the last detail what you assigned me to do.
JOHN 17:4 (Msg)
"You weren't created to consume resources - to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life... You were created to add to life on earth, not just take from it. God wants you to give something back." p227
"Whenever you serve others in a way, you are actually serving God and fulfilling one of your purposes." p228
"We are healed to help others. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are saved to serve, not sit around and wait for Heaven." p229
"...you may have thought that being 'called' by God was something only missionaries, pastors, nuns, and other 'full-time' church workers experienced, but the Bible says every Christian is called to service." p229
"Jesus taught that spiritual maturity is never an end in itself. Maturity if for ministry! We grow up in order to give out. It is not enough to keep learning more and more. We must act on what we claim to believe... The last thing many believers need today is to go to another Bible study. They already know far more than they are putting into practice. What they need are serving experiences in which they can exercise their spiritual muscles." p231
"At the end of your life on earth you will stand before God, and He is going to evaluate how well you served others with your life. The Bible says, 'Each of us will have to give a personal account to God.' Think about the implications of that. One day God will compare how much time you spent on ourselves, compared with what we invested in serving others.
At that point, all excuses for self-centredness will sound hollow: 'I was too busy' or 'I had my own gaols' or 'I was preoccupied with working, having fun or preparing for retirement.' To all excuses God will respond, 'Sorry, wrong answer. I created, saved, and called you and commanded you to live a life of service. What part did you not understand?' The Bible warns unbelievers, 'He will put our His anger and wrath on those who live for themselves,' but for Christians it will mean a loss of eternal rewards." p131-2
Point to Ponder:
Service is not optional.
Verses to Remember:
"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." EPHESIANS 2:10 (NIV)
Question to Consider:
What is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve Him?
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