Son and Servant?
By
Lexi Cole Ellis
See what
great love the Father
has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1 (NIV)
John Wesley was an extraordinary
eighteenth century Christian leader with an impressive resume: preacher, prison ministry, fasting, food
ministries to orphans, degrees, ordination, prayer warrior and missionary. Yet
in his journal, Wesley stunningly wrote, “I who went to America to convert
others was never myself converted to God…I had even then the faith of a
servant, though not that of a son.” [1]
My first thought is… Look at all he did! It’s not all that bad to
be considered a servant like him, is it? Jesus modeled being a servant, and
calls His disciples to do the same. Certainly, we are called to serve God, and
we are called to serve the spiritual and physical needs of people.
Yes, we are called to serve. And
some need to answer the Holy Spirit’s nudging to jump in, take a risk, and
start serving in the Kingdom-building work of God. But Wesley recognized that
it’s imperative that we be servants AND children of God. Because if we’re serving without truly
surrendering - - the surrendering that comes with being a child of our Abba
Father - - then we’re missing the point as to why God has called us to serve.
For me, the call to serve…the “do-ing”…actually
comes naturally. If I’m honest, maybe it’s because when I am serving, I know
that other people notice. They see the “outside” of me, and this easily fosters
my pride. So the question really becomes: What is my heart motivation for
serving? Am I serving because it’s “the right thing to do”? Or am I serving because
it impresses others with how filled my schedule is?
OR is my serving an extension of my extreme
gratitude - - my thankfulness that I am adopted into God’s family? Is my
serving a recognition of everything that Christ has done for me? Does my serving
stem from truly surrendering myself to Him? Am I living as a child of God,
dependent and trusting Him as I serve?
Sometimes it’s easy to let pride be
the motivation for my “yes” to serving. When the reality is, I need to serve
God because I truly recognize the amazement that comes with being redeemed as
His child. I need to fully delight in God’s Word and acknowledge how vast God’s
redemption is. At the end of the day, I need to ask myself: Am I truly surrendered to my Abba Father…or am
I just serving Him?
Going Deeper:
1.
Take time with the Holy Spirit. Are
you actively serving? Is so, what’s your motivation behind serving?
Further Reading:
Lexi and her husband, Andrew, have an adorable dog named Calvin.
She teaches sixth grade Reading and Writing, serves with Children’s Ministries,
and is the Fresh Start Coordinator.
[1]
Platt, David. Follow Me. Pg. 101.
Tyndale, 2013.
