Heart of Service.

I fussed and yawned and wished for the thousandth time that I could have stayed in bed this chilly autumn morning.  Instead, I was standing over a gas stove, cooking sausage, and listening to the jovial conversations of those surrounding me in the kitchen.  We were awake just as the sun rose in the sky and, although it was a beautiful morning, I was not a happy camper.  Which baffled me.  I had a desire to volunteer for His name sake, to do some kind of service out of love for His people.  I knew with a certainty that God knew that desire of my heart and would bless me with opportunities, much like He had this particular morning.  But, for some reason, I was simply not enjoying it like I thought I would.

After meditating on the thought while watching homemade biscuits and cinnamon rolls bake, it suddenly made sense.  Slightly pleased with myself for having figured out my problem, I addressed my Father with my issue.  "Lord, I don't know these people that well.  If I were doing this with people of my home church, I'm sure I would enjoy it more."  And then God taught me a very valuable lesson.

What's it matter who you're with as long as you're serving in My name?

Ouch.  We can have the best intentions in our heart and they can still be misguided.  My desire to serve wasn't wrong, but the stipulations I had for serving were evidence of a me-driven desire instead of a love-driven desire.  When our hearts are in tune with the Father, serving comes naturally regardless of the environment.  It's not about how we feel or our needs, but rather the needs of those that God has given us the ability to meet.  The act of serving, in and of itself, is an expression of selflessness.  Jesus came to serve and even encouraged those who follow Him to continually serve as God sees fit.

So, in a nutshell, serving isn't about me.  It's about the Father.  If any act of service I do does not point to the Father and His love, it is merely a poor reflection of my own abilities and does not have the purpose I originally intended.

So I encourage you today to examine your hearts and question your own acts of serving in the name of Jesus.  What is at the heart of your desire to serve?  If it is not to be the hands and feet of God, or if, like me, that desire comes with selfish stipulations, ask God to change that for you.  When we rest in the heart of the Father, it is easier to allow His love to freely flow from us.  Serve as Jesus did with the heart that Jesus has, and God will bless you abundantly.