MANHOOD/SINGLEHOOD
THINKING LIKE SERVANT
Service starts in your mind. To be a servant requires a mental shift, change in your attitudes. God is always more interested in why we do something than what we do. Attitudes count more than achievements.
1. Servant think more about others than about themselves
Servants focus on others, not themselves. This is true humility not thinking less of our self less. “forget yourself long enough to lend a helping hand.” This is what it means to “lose your life”, forgetting yourself in service to others. When we stop focusing on our own needs, we become aware of our needs around us. Unfortunately a lot of our service is often self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to be admired, or to achieve our own goals. That is manipulation, not “ministry”. Some people try to use service as a bargaining tool with God: “I’ll do this for you God, If you’ll do something for me.” Real servants don’t try to use God for their purposes. “If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.
2. Servant think like stewards, not owners
Servants remember that God owns it all. In the bible, a steward was a servant entrusted to manage an estate. Servanthood and stewardship go together, since God expects us to be trustworthy in both. The bible says, “The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master.” To become real servant you are going to have to settle the issue of money in your life. Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters…you cannot serve both serve both God and money” He didn’t say, you should not, but you cannot. Living for ministry and living for money are mutually exclusive goals. Money has the greatest potential to replace God in your life. When Jesus is your master, money serves you, but if money is your master, you become its slave. Wealth is not a sin, but failing to use it for God’s glory is. Servant of God is more concerned about ministry than money. Bible is very clear; God used money to test your faithfulness as a servant. That is why Jesus talks more about money than He did in heaven or hell. If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches. Kingdom builders change the rule of the game. They still try to make as much money as they can, but they do it in order to give it way. They use the wealth to fund God’s church and its mission in the world.
3. Servants think about their work, not what other are doing
They don’t compare, criticize or compete with other servants or ministry. We’re all on the same team’ our goal is to glorify God, not ourselves. We’ve given different assignments and we have all uniquely shaped. “We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is original.” Real servants don’t complain of unfairness, and don’t resent those not serving. They just trust God and keep serving. “Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others says”
4. Servant base their identity on Christ
Because they remember they are love and accepted by grace, servants don’t have to prove their worth. They willingly accept job that insecure people would consider “beneath” them. If you are going to be a servant, you must settle your Identity in Christ. Only secure people can serve. Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others. They fear exposure of their weakness and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretension. The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval. ”you may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts in is the Lord’s approval.
5. Servant thinking of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation
They enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing ministry. They “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Because they love the Lord, they’re grateful for his grace, they know serving is the highest use of life, and they know God has promise a reward. Jesus promised, “the Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.” “He will not forget how hard have you worked for Him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians.”
1. Servant think more about others than about themselves
Servants focus on others, not themselves. This is true humility not thinking less of our self less. “forget yourself long enough to lend a helping hand.” This is what it means to “lose your life”, forgetting yourself in service to others. When we stop focusing on our own needs, we become aware of our needs around us. Unfortunately a lot of our service is often self-serving. We serve to get others to like us, to be admired, or to achieve our own goals. That is manipulation, not “ministry”. Some people try to use service as a bargaining tool with God: “I’ll do this for you God, If you’ll do something for me.” Real servants don’t try to use God for their purposes. “If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life.
2. Servant think like stewards, not owners
Servants remember that God owns it all. In the bible, a steward was a servant entrusted to manage an estate. Servanthood and stewardship go together, since God expects us to be trustworthy in both. The bible says, “The one thing required of such servants is that they be faithful to their master.” To become real servant you are going to have to settle the issue of money in your life. Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters…you cannot serve both serve both God and money” He didn’t say, you should not, but you cannot. Living for ministry and living for money are mutually exclusive goals. Money has the greatest potential to replace God in your life. When Jesus is your master, money serves you, but if money is your master, you become its slave. Wealth is not a sin, but failing to use it for God’s glory is. Servant of God is more concerned about ministry than money. Bible is very clear; God used money to test your faithfulness as a servant. That is why Jesus talks more about money than He did in heaven or hell. If you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches. Kingdom builders change the rule of the game. They still try to make as much money as they can, but they do it in order to give it way. They use the wealth to fund God’s church and its mission in the world.
3. Servants think about their work, not what other are doing
They don’t compare, criticize or compete with other servants or ministry. We’re all on the same team’ our goal is to glorify God, not ourselves. We’ve given different assignments and we have all uniquely shaped. “We will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is original.” Real servants don’t complain of unfairness, and don’t resent those not serving. They just trust God and keep serving. “Your service for Christ is never wasted regardless of what others says”
4. Servant base their identity on Christ
Because they remember they are love and accepted by grace, servants don’t have to prove their worth. They willingly accept job that insecure people would consider “beneath” them. If you are going to be a servant, you must settle your Identity in Christ. Only secure people can serve. Insecure people are always worrying about how they appear to others. They fear exposure of their weakness and hide beneath layers of protective pride and pretension. The more insecure you are, the more you will want people to serve you, and the more you will need their approval. ”you may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts in is the Lord’s approval.
5. Servant thinking of ministry as an opportunity, not an obligation
They enjoy helping people, meeting needs, and doing ministry. They “Serve the Lord with gladness.” Because they love the Lord, they’re grateful for his grace, they know serving is the highest use of life, and they know God has promise a reward. Jesus promised, “the Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.” “He will not forget how hard have you worked for Him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians.”
When the moment na sinabi mo sa sarili mo you want to follow Jesus Christ.. hindi yan parang kanin pag sinubo mo pag napaso ka iluluwa mo.. it is a bold decision to walk with Christ.. be consitent hindi sya malayo tayo lang ang lumayo..
"If you want to be my followers, you must love me more than your own life otherwise you can't be my disciple"
Luke 14:26
"If you want to be my followers, you must love me more than your own life otherwise you can't be my disciple"
Luke 14:26