It's Your Serve
And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free: Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever. ~Exodus 21:5-6
Do you enjoy serving? Are you someone who desires to help others? Do you possess a volunteer spirit that is quick to respond to the needs of the church? This morning, we want to be encouraged in serving because we love to serve!
We see the rendering.
Our passage this morning is about a bondslave. A bondslave was a man who was purchased from the slave market and was the possession of the man who bought him. Bondslaves had no rights and were required to do whatever was demanded of them. In Israel, a master was required to set his slave free at the end of seven years. The slave could be at liberty to pursue his own life at that time. However, a slave who loved his master could voluntarily remain with him. To give evidence of this, the master would bring him before the judges, and an aul would be used to bore a hole through the earlobe of the slave. This permanent marker told others that the slave voluntarily chose to serve the remainder of his life with his master.
We see the responsibility.
Service demands that we give our best. It requires that we are both responsive and proactive. It is being protective of the assets that are entrusted into our care. It is making sure that we are working with diligence. Serving is not occupying space; it is being productive and accomplishing things for the one whom we serve. Service demands that we are ready to give an account of what has been entrusted to us. Service demands that we are responsible.
We see the relationship.
As servants of God, we serve the Lord because we love Him! It is a high expression of worship when we serve the Lord. The closer we get to the Lord, the more we catch the Lord’s heart in service. We give attention to the details. We go the extra mile. We follow up on our work. We care about the people whom we serve and how we serve them. We arrive before others arrive, and we stay after everyone has left. Our attitude is not, “Let someone else do it.” We do it because we love the Lord! When we serve because of the value in the relationship, there is a constant motivation that drives us to always be at our best.
We see the reward.
Serving the Lord with excellence has its rewards. We become a blessing to other people. We see accomplishments that benefit everyone. We grow closer to our Lord. We enlist other people to join us and serve with a similar attitude. We deliver positive results. We are valued in the eyes of our Lord. Serving the Lord is a rewarding and powerful experience.
How would you describe your service to the Lord? How does the Lord view your service? Let’s be people who arise and determine to serve the Lord out of love and great affection. Let’s do away with the attitude, "I am serving because I have to," and adopt the attitude "I am serving because I love the Lord."
Have a service-inspired God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: 2 Chronicles 28-31