7|30 A Servant's Heart

The worth of a man cannot be measured by what he has, rather, it  can only be measured by what he does.
   Anonymous

I just returned from our annual teen trip to the Rocky Mountains.  Our youth group takes one evening each week during the summer to mow the lawns  and take care of various needs for the widows at church. While these sweet  ladies often offer to pay the kids for their efforts, each offer is politely  turned down for we are trying to teach our young people something about  service. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that it is our young people  who are teaching us something about the heart of a servant.

Anyway… we just got back from our trip. We got up early in the  morning, played hard all day and went to bed way too late at night. Prior to  bed, we all sat around the campfire and enjoyed a devotional. We would have a  prayer, sing a couple of songs and then read a verse or two from the Bible.  Then we would go around the fire and each one would talk about the things that  were important to them.

Have you ever just sat and listened to an ordinary group of teens  talk about God and their duty as His servants? If you have then you know that  our young men and women are far from ordinary - they are extraordinary. Most  really do, with all their hearts, want to serve God.

After this year’s trip, one of these extraordinary young people  decided that it was time to become a Christian. So, he professed his belief  that Jesus was Lord and he was baptized for the forgiveness of his sins. And he  is saved today - not because of his service or even because he is somehow good  enough to be saved. He is saved by the grace of God and by the shed blood of  Christ. He is also saved because he did his part and now, he is ready for a  lifetime of service to the Lord.

It’s been a pretty good week. How has your week been going? If it  has not been going as well as you would like then maybe it is time for you to  regain the heart of a servant.

Serve wholeheartedly, as if serving the Lord, not men, because you  know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does.
   Ephesians  6:7-8, NIV