“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
—Galatians 2:20
When Paul surrendered his life to Christ, he no longer belonged to himself. He willingly gave up his rights and chose to become a bondservant to Jesus.
The same is true for us today. After giving our lives to the Lord, we don’t belong to ourselves anymore. We belong to Christ. It’s not a matter of what we want to do, but of what Christ wants to do through us. Our life should be one of servitude.
Jesus had a servant’s attitude from an early age. He was 12 years old when He went to Jerusalem with His parents to celebrate Passover.
As Mary and Joseph were returning to Nazareth, they did not realize He stayed behind. After searching for Him, Jesus’ parents found Him in the Temple. When they asked for an explanation, He replied, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49 NKJV).
Our life in Christ is about service.
We, too, must be about our Father’s business. While we are here, we have work to do. Thank God for the many benefits we have in Christ. We have escaped eternal damnation and can walk in health and live in prosperity. But we would be negligent if we didn’t share what we have with others.
Our life in Christ is about service. It’s about yielding to something greater than we are. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He said, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8 NKJV). God gave each of us a gift, and He expects us to use it in service to others.
Some people have talents but don’t use them. We must not allow what God has given us to become dormant. Paul told Timothy to “stir up the gift of God, which is in thee” (2 Tim. 1:6). We nourish our gifts by actively using them. One of the best ways to do this is by being involved in a local church or hooking up with a ministry.
Kenneth E. Hagin often said, “I never pray, ‘Lord, bless me.’ I pray, ‘Lord, make me a blessing.’ ” When we give ourselves to the Lord this way, He will make us a part of something bigger than we are. He will plant us in a local church or connect us to a ministry. When we are part of something greater than any man is, we are part of a mandate from Heaven.
Some people may struggle with this because they don’t want to give themselves wholeheartedly to the Lord or anyone else. But I’m not suggesting we follow a man; I’m suggesting we hook up with what God has placed inside us.
Are you using your faith to reach backsliders? To get people filled with the Holy Spirit? To help set people free from the bonds of the devil? If not, it’s time to be a part of something bigger than you are.
God has not called us to live apart from other people. He’s called us to minister to those around us. Let’s commit to follow Paul’s example and live a life of service.
Author
Tad Gregurich
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