11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving
the Lord. Romans12:11
Many people are dissatisfied with the depth of their relationship with
God. They are aware that their spiritual lives need a kick-start. They
say to themselves: "I need to sort myself out first and _then_ I can do
something in the church."
But sometimes the best way to grow closer to God is to jump in and begin
to serve.
- How spiritual do you have to be to pour a cup of tea?
- How good a hotline to heaven do you need before you can hug a child?
- How much Bible knowledge do you need to greet people at the door?
Jesus indicated that the road to greatness begins with serving others.
There is a "Copernican Shift" that takes place when we begin to serve.
(Copernicus was the first one to suggest that the sun and not the earth
was the centre of everything.) When we serve, it moves our focus from
ourselves to others.
When we get involved in service for God, we deliberately place ourselves
amongst the things and people of God and this greatly increases our
chances of: -being inspired from the example of others
-having our hearts softened
-getting our priorities clarified
-growing in confidence
Couch-potatoes and Pew-warmers grow more slowly than those who actively
seek ways to serve God in practical ways. It takes courage to take the
plunge, but it is worth it!
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Theo Groeneveld theo@emmanuel.org.za
