Thursday, October 4, 2018


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’s family consists of her, her husband, Andrew, her daughter, Sloane, and her dog, Calvin. She teaches sixth grade Reading and Writing and serves with Children’s Ministries.

[1] Platt, David. Follow Me. Pg. 101. Tyndale, 2013.