Topic: Grace to Always Serve Others Like Jesus  [Church of God Mission International] Above Only Daily Devotional 23 September 2021

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Above Only Daily Devotional

By: Archbishop M E Benson Idahosa

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23

Grace to Always Serve Others Like Jesus

Mark 10:42-45(LB), Philippians 2:5(TPT)

So Jesus called them to him and said, “As you know, the kings and great men of the earth lord it over the people; but among you it is different. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be greatest of all must be the slave of all. For even I, the Messiah, am not here to be served, but to help others and to give my life as a ranson for many.*And consider the example that Jesus the Anointed One has set before us. Let His mindset become your motivation.

The reason God wants us to know our worth and value in Him, is not so that we can maintain an inflated sense of self. It is so that we can fulfill His purpose for our lives in the same way Jesus did. Immediately after Jesus saw that His disciples knew who He really was, He began to tell them about His need to suffer and die to fulfill the purpose God sent Him to fulfill. Peter, who had received the revelation of who Jesus was, could not reconcile Jesus greatness with the fact that he wanted to suffer and die to fulfill God’s purpose for His life. He couldn’t wrap his human mind around it. He called Jesus aside and tried to discourage Him from what He was saying (Matthew16:16 -22). Peter did not understand that in the kingdom of God greatness is about service and fulfilling God’s purpose for our lives. God has made us like Christ, so that we can serve others just like Jesus would if he were in our shoes.

Jesus showed us the perfect example by putting everything aside, so that He could love others, serve and fulfill God’s will and purpose even though it meant the shame and pain of coming down to this earth and suffering and dying on the cross (Philipians 2:5-9). As God’s servants, we are not seeking honour from men ( John 5:41). We are focused on doing the things that will bring glory and honour to God. We don’t compare ourselves with others ( 2 Corinthians 10:12) andeven when people try to compare us with others we remind them we are just God’s servants and God is all in all (1 Corinthians 3:3-9). Like Jesus, our focus is on finishing all that the Father has assigned us to do, so that we might bring Him glory (John 17 : 4). As so, we keep our eyes on Jesus and like Him, focus on the joy that is set before us enduring the cross and despising every shame (Hebrews 12 : 2).

Faith Declaration:
I have the same mindset that Jesus has. I am always willing to sacrifice everything to serve others and fulfill God’s purpose for my life.

Bible In One Year Reading Plan
Isaiah 41:17-43:13, Ephesians 2:1-22, Psalm 67:1-7 & Proverbs 23: 29-35