Willing Servants

From the moment Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, Paul consistently sought to follow His leading and demonstrate his commitment to the Gospel. Blessed with a brilliant mind, he could have had a lucrative career and accumulated great riches. Instead, he set everything aside to follow the Lord, no matter where He led.

To Paul, serving Jesus was more important than any personal reward or honor. He was willing to become His servant. In this, he was following the example set by Jesus who left the glories of heaven to come to the earth. As Paul wrote, Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8 NASB).

This kind of commitment can be difficult, because we naturally tend to think first about ourselves. But God has given us the ability to choose our priorities. We can pursue the temporary rewards of this life, or we can seek the Kingdom that will last into eternity. All the while, we need to remember that the world is passing away but the one who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:17 NASB).

Today, think about your choices. What is most important to you? Your rights? Your temporary rewards and pleasures? Or are you willing to put everything else aside in order to serve God?

Follow Paul’s example. Take up your cross and follow Jesus. Surrender your life to Him. Seek to have the attitude of a servant.