serve God

Serve God.
Grow and nurture a servant's heart.

HOW?

Ecc 9:10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might!

• "One good deed is more worth than a 1000 brilliant theories." - Spurgeon
• With "might" I am to serve...
  
• promptly, not waiting for tomorrow
• with all my heart, soul, and strength
• Where then is the Christian's MIGHT?
• In God - proceed with prayer and faith as the Christian does what he does for the Lord.

Col 3:17 - Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Col 3:23 - Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men.


I Pet 4:11 - Whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

• Whatever part of the burden you bear in the church, know you can do nothing but what has been given time by the Lord, & that you are nothing but an instrument of God, so take heed & do not abuse the grace of God by exalting yourself, take heed not to suppress the power of God which puts forth & manifests itself in the ministry for the salvation of the brethren (J. Calvin, I Pet 4:11)
• "That in all things God my be glorified" - the gifts & talents of men are not to rob God of glory or exalt man, but rather to humble men, uplift & exalt God for such gracious gifts & talents ... "through Jesus Christ" - because all power bestowed is in & through Jesus Christ (J. Calvin, I Pet 4:11)
• The nature of a Christian's work, which is high work and hard work, the goodness of the Master & the excellence of the reward, all require that our endeavors should be serious & earnest. And in all the duties and services of life, we [are to] aim at the glory of God as our chief end. (M. Henry, I Pet 4:11)
• Working through us, the Holy Ghost will, shall I say, impinge upon the world in a somewhat different form than from the life of any of our fellows (J.H. Jowett, I Pet 4:11)
• "If any man minister" - [He is to] serve his brother in love, whether in spirituals or temporals ... "Let him minister as of the ability which God giveth" - That is, humbly & diligently, ascribing all his power to God, & using it with his might ... whose is the glory - of his wisdom, which teaches us to speak ... and the might - which enables us to act. (J. Wesley, I pet 4:11)
  

Service is not for the sake of the one being served, although the one served does (or at least) should receive some benefit, but the true end of service is strictly for the Lord to receive glory. The Christian is able to serve, when inspired & enabled by the Holy Spirit who imparts the mindset of Christ - that is to serve rather than be served (Mark 10:45; Phil. 2:5).

This is a subject I have been putting sometime into,  as i prepare to move away to Costa Rica for mission work, since a majority of missions is service.