Ask Not What God Can Do For You, But What You Can Do For God.
God loves a cheerful giver. Likewise, God loves those who serve Him with a happy heart. One of the greatest ways you can serve Jesus and your fellow believers is to allow Him to put you to work where you fit best.
As a part of the Body of Christ, Elysia saints love to bless each other. We do so by being willing to do what we do best. We allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to perform the work of the ministry, be it leading service or cleaning dishes, as service to our Lord.
Know your gifting
Many in the church strive for position. They become what they think others view as spiritual in order to gain the praise of men. For example, I once knew a gifted evangelist. He once walked into a convenience store and, at the prompting of God, picked up some sardines and crackers. The odd thing is, he didn’t like sardines at all. When he was buying them he witnessed to the clerk about how Jesus multiplied the loaves and fishes. Everywhere he went, he just had to tell people about the love of Jesus. Yet, for all his gifting in evangelism, he coveted the role of a prophet. Therefore, instead of remaining where he fit best, he gravitated towards those who fed his desire to be something different than God what wanted.
A servant serves at his Master’s pleasure
Therefore, in Elysia, we all desire to serve where God places us in His body. It is true that, as we grow in Him, we do tend to grow in our ministry, too. However, we must remember that Philip, the one who witnessed to the Ethiopian Eunuch, started out as a deacon, waiting tables at Jerusalem.
Thus, God often tests us in the mundane things of life to see if we are spiritually ready to do His will. Waiting tables, and doing it well, takes heart and a willingness to be a servant. As a leader, I can tell very quickly where someone is in God by their desire to do even the simple tasks well.
How you work reveals a lot about your character
In Africa, if I wanted to know the character of a young man or woman, I would ask them to help me till the garden. Those who worked well, with all their heart, showed qualities of humility and a willingness to serve. Those who felt that gardening was beneath them, revealed a problem with pride. Often, I could learn a person’s true nature in less than five minutes by how they followed directions and by how enthusiastically they dug.
I have said all that to say this: When you come to Elysia, think of it as an extended job interview for God. Your Lord watches how you do your work and sees the heart with which you do it. He measures your faithfulness and gauges whether or not you are ready for more responsibility. Truly, when you serve in Elysia, the eyes of our Lord are upon you.
Let God advance you and give you position
In conclusion, covet not the chief seats, but allow God to place you where He believes is best. Later, if He feels you are ready, He will move His servant forward and give you more responsibility. Remember, we are the Body of Christ, and when we win as a body, we all win as individuals. Amen.
