2 chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
What an awesome verse! The bible tells us here that when we, as God's people, humble ourselves, pray, seek his face, and turn from our wicked ways, then will he bring about a revolution! This "revolution" im talking about can mean a lot of things. It is obvious that our world needs a revolution, with all of the immorality going on. Our country as a whole seems to be drifting farther and farther away from God's ways. Revolution could be talking about your school or town, your church or youth group, and in your own personal relationship with God. I think all of these areas need a drastic healing from God!
Notice that the first thing mentioned is to humble ourselves. The Cobster defines humble as -- knowing who you are and where you stand. Realizing that you are nothing and God is everything. Allowing God to live a life that you cannot live on your own. Where all personal pride is gone. It's laying yourself down at the feet of God and knowing that He is awesome and worthy of your praise.
Just look at some of these verses in the bible that have the word "humble"
Ps 18:27 You save the humble
25:9 He guides the humble in what is right
149:4 He crowns the humble with salvation
Prov 3:34 gives grace to the humble
Those verses alone tell us its probably a good idea to be humble and God honors it!
The main thing I want to talk about isn't so much being humble, but being a Servant of God! Humbleness is definitely a first step in being a servant. Servanthood doesn't sound like a very pretty word to most people. On the other hand I think if I asked any of you if you want to be Christlike, you would answer YES! Jesus was a perfect example of a Servant, as he demonstrated by washing his deciples' feet. A king washing his servants feet, what an amazing thought ya know?! Wow!
Being a servant of God is something we should WANT to be. Think about the sacrifice God gave us and all of the things He has done for you…..its pretty obvious that we owe him our lives and he deserves our servanthood. I mean, we would have no life without him right??! With all of that out of the way, lets see what being a servant is all about.
I just went on a Crysalis this past weekend and learned a lot about being a servant. Its all about God's love for us and our love for God. To be the servant God wants you to be, you have to understand His amazing love for you! That love is more than anyone on earth can love you. How many people do you know that would give up their life for you? Ok maybe a few very special people right? Well how many people do you know that would freely give up their very own Son for you? Not any probably! That is just one way God has shown his love for us!
I know this thing is kinda long, and I havent even got to what I was wanting to talk about, but that's ok ill try to wrap it up pretty quick. There are 3 main things that go along with being a servant.
1.) Requires obedience. Serving God is not like serving another human, in which we would ask what to do and then go do it. God doesn't give us orders to do and expect us to go complete them. The cool thing about serving God is that He just wants to complete His work through us! A human master wouldn't help his servant do the task, but God doesn't only help, He will do the whole thing if we are willing to allow it! Sometimes the task that you feel God has called you to do may seem impossible or really far-fetched, but remember that ***with God working through his servant, that servant can do anything God can do!!!*** Think about that!
2.) Have to make yourself available to be molded and shaped into the instrument of his choosing. Making yourself available to God doesn't mean surrendering to the full time ministry. It means making yourself available to God no matter where or what kind of situation he places you in. God doesn't force you to serve Him, but has incredible awards for those that do. God honors servanthood!
3.) Also, you have to remain available. What good is a servant that is available to carry out the work of his master only part of the time. God isnt going to give you more than you can handle. Remember He is really doing the work, but through you! Servanthood isnt something that is cool one week and not the other. Its not something He wants from you that 1 week during the summer at camp. I get so sick of seeing those 1 week warriors…..i see it all the time individuals and their youth groups devote themselves to serving our God every summer. What happens??? I think the reason this frustrates me so much is that I have been there and done it before. But now I know that my God is deserving of my life in the world, as well as my life at camp. God has so much planned for each of you, he will do things and bring you a happiness that is unimaginable, but he wont do it because a week of church camp im sorry! There is so much more! It is a life long commitment to carry out God's plans. You don't have to have some amazing gifts to serve God. In fact throughout the bible, God uses the most ordinary people to do some of the most amazing things! (Elijah- 1kings 18:16-39), (John & Peter- acts 4:13) **when you believe that nothing significant can happen through you, you have said more about your faith in God than you have said about yourself. You have said that God is not capable of doing anything significant through you. The truth is, He is able to do anything he pleases with one ordinary person fully available and devoted to serving Him** Use what God has given you to serve him. He has given you everything you have, use it as you become a humble, obedient, servant to him. John 15:5 says "without me, you can do nothing!" That is true, but by making yourself available to Him you can do ALL THINGS (phil 4:13)
To close I want to remind you of that first verse, 2 cor 7:14. (if my people will humble themselves…….i will heal their land) God will work in our land, in our church, in our school, and in our lives when we get serious about serving him. Being a Christian is a call to be on a mission with God as He reconciles a lost world to Himself through Christ. This calling requires that you be a servant of God. Jesus gave you the best model of servanthood, which was both the humble and obedient. As a servant you must be moldable and obedient, open to whatever it is God wants, and remain available for His use. As you experience God's love for you and serve Him, He will do His work through you, revealing Himself to a hurting world!
walk the walk,
coby <>< 2 cor 5:17
