Representing The Lord

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,” Ephesians 3:20

Yesterday, while reading from the Book of Philippians, I saw some notes written along the page margins in my Bible. No doubt, the points I had listed were from a previous message by one of my pastors or Bible Study teachers. Upon reading them again, I felt compelled to write and share a few thoughts on how we can represent the Lord as we serve Him day by day.  Following are the four points I had written in my Bible:

When serving the Lord:

1. Start where you are. 

2. Use what you have.

3. Do what you can. 

4. God will do the rest. 

Now, some thoughts on these four:

Start where you are. Most of us will never live on a foreign mission field, but we can serve God right where we are. Each of us has some sphere of influence in our little corner of the world. Look around, and you’ll see that God wants to work right where you are. It might be family, neighbors, friends, or strangers, but you can be certain that He wants to use you for the good of others. 

Use what you have. You may think that you don’t have any spiritual gifts, but you would be wrong. God has gifted each of us in more ways than we can imagine. We only use a fraction of what He wants to do in and through us. He will not waste the gifts He’s given us; we just have to be willing to let Him lead. If we allow it, He will develop those qualities in us that run parallel to His perfect plan for our lives. He will always be beside us and will help us to use our gifts for the benefit of others and Himself.

Do what you can. All of us have the potential to make a difference in someone else’s life. It may be that you need to help a neighbor in some way or perhaps take a little extra time to prepare a warm meal or treat for someone you know. Your smile may be all that’s needed to cheer someone who is having a difficult day. You NEVER know what another person is going through. Most of us are good at hiding those types of things, so remember to share your smiles and positive words with ALL whose paths you cross in the daily traffic lanes of your life. Let others always see the Author and Finisher of your faith in all that you do. 

God will do the rest. God is faithful and will always show Himself strong on our behalf. He will place others in our lives and use us for His good purposes. I am continually amazed at how the Holy Spirit prompts us to serve someone in ways that are specific only to them. He will lead us and only needs our availability. Nothing more.

Wherever you are today, you can make a difference for the Kingdom of God. He created you and me for a relationship with Himself and service to others. I see no better time to show Christ’s love to others than right now, for these unprecedented times have caused much anxiety among the masses. People need the Lord Jesus! There is no better way to make Him known than by serving others. Start where you are, let him take the reins, and be blessed in serving Him! It is the BEST thing you can do!! 

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You created us by Your great hand, and I will forever stand amazed at Your strength, wisdom, grace, and mercy! Father, as we go about our daily lives of serving You and lifting the name of Jesus high, I humbly ask that You lead us to those who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. May we always live to serve You and others more and more each day. Thank You for loving us like You do. We pray for those who don’t know You. May we be the vessel who points them to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray this in the name of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.