Just Jump In!

Alan Chandler (webmaster coolspring.org)
 

     During the Fall of 2003, Cool Spring Church underwent the 40 Days of Purpose Campaign, and read Rick Warren's The Purpose Driven Life.  While the entire series was valuable, my favorite section was "Purpose #4 - You Were Shaped for Serving God," which includes chapters 29 through 35.  In these chapters, Rick Warren outlines who is to serve God, as well as how and why.  Cool Spring Church has exceptional opportunities of service, and I believe that these chapters discuss a lot of what Cool Spring is about.

     A few points from these chapters on serving are discussed below, but I would encourage anyone with The Purpose Driven Life to take a few minutes and re-read those chapters.

     Shown on the right are a few examples of service which have taken place at Cool Spring over the years.  Current opportunities of service at Cool Spring can be found at Opportunities of Service.
 

• It is God's plan that we will serve Him, and we were created to add back to the world, not just take from it.  God has specifically created and shaped us for a role in His kingdom.
  
  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
  
  Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you.  Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. - Jeremiah 1:5
   

• Rick Warren believes, and the Bible states, that if a Christian has no love in his heart for others, no desire to serve others, and is only concerned about his own needs, then he should question if Christ is truly in his life.
  
  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. - 1 John 3:14
   

• We are all called to serve God, and we all have a "ministry".  Having a ministry is not reserved for pastors and church staff.  For Christians, serving God is not optional, but rather is the "heart of the Christian life."  Christ set the example of servant hood.
  
  Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
  - Matthews 20: 26,27
   

• We all have been given at least one Spiritual Gift that is to be used in ministry, and we all have individual talents, abilities, passions, character traits, and experiences which will shape what our ministry will be.  It is up to us to discover what our place of service in God's kingdom is, not whether or not we have a place to serve in His kingdom.
   

• When we serve, it is for God's glory, not our own.  We gladly serve out our love for Christ, and not as an obligation or duty, or as a means to gain salvation.  Furthermore, servants don't serve to impress others or for the approval of others.  Service is for God's approval.
  
  The two verses below may seem contradictory, but what Jesus is talking about is a servant's heart - the motivation for his actions.  The purpose of service is to glorify God, not ourselves.
  
  So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
  - Matthew 6:2-4
  
  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. - Matthew 5:16
   

• All ministries and acts of service, no matter out seemingly small or insignificant, are important to God.  Jesus humbled himself and served others by performing tasks no one else wanted to do, such as washing feet and serving the outcasts of society.  Just imagine that these simple acts of service were performed by the same Jesus who performed the ultimate act of service by dying for our salvation.
  
  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross! - Philippians 2:5-8
   

     How do we get involved in service?  Just jump in and get involved!  While it is good to perform a self-assessment of our Spiritual Gifts, talents, and passions, there are many cases where we will not know if we are right for a ministry until we try it.  Ministry is an opportunity, and we should be actively on the look-out for places to get plugged-in.  We should leave time in our schedules for opportunities of service as they arise.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back later; I’ll give it tomorrow” - when you now have it with you.  - Proverbs 3:28

Online Upward 2006 Devotionals from Other Weeks:

Click Here to Read Previous Online Devotionals