The blessedness or beauty of serving others

Dear friends, welcome to „Daily Word for Spiritual Edification”! I am grateful to God for the opportunity to meet with you through these messages, to strengthen my own spirit and to feed on healthy Biblical teaching that is able to save our souls.

Today I would like to start discussing about the blessedness or beauty of serving others.

Ministry is a widespread concept among believers. In essence, ministry is giving of all things: giving of one’s talents and gifts, one’s knowledge and time, one’s heart and resources. The Kingdom of God is built through such giving. Your church is built by your giving and ministry. It says in the Bible that it is more blessed to give than to receive. God blesses those who serve, so if you want to get to the top of God’s blessedness learn to serve God and people.

Ministry is giving. But many people believe that the one who receives is in a better position than the one who gives and sacrifices. The Bibles tells us that we are more blessed when we use every opportunity to give, to solve the problems of others and to be an answer for someone’s needs. Ministry is the demonstration of our love towards God and people. Ministry is the way to be promoted and exalted.

The two main commandments that Jesus left is say the following: «’You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’» (Mathew, 22:37-39).

Our love towards God is always reflected in how we treat other people. The one who loves God serves Him. But the only way to serve God is to serve people that are created in His image and according to His likeness. It is the love for God and men that must be the true motive of our ministry. After His resurrection Jesus asked Peter whether he loved Him. Jesus did not ask Peter whether he loved His sheep. He said that Peter’s love for Jesus should motivate him to tend His sheep. It is not possible to love God Whom we have not seen without loving and caring for people that we see every day. God’s love in our hearts motivates us to give ourselves in a way that makes the lives of other people less difficult.

When we fellowship with God, it changes our perspective of the things around us. Prophet Isaiah is a wonderful example of it.

«In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: „Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: „Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth with it, and said: „Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: „Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, „Here am I! Send me.”» (Isaiah, 6: 1-8).

The idea of „love for God” can be explained in different ways, but there are at least two qualities that can be seen in everyone who loves God: they spend time with God and they obey Him.

Isaiah went to the temple to worship God. There are several things you and I do it all the time: spend time alone with Him, read His Word to know His will, go to church, attend home groups. All of this is good and has its place in our lives, but it is not enough to please Him. We must go further.

During our time of fellowship with God Isaiah saw three important moments that changed his whole life. We will talk about them tomorrow.

God bless you!

Pastor Rufus Ajiboye