Speak Lord, Your Servant Hears – Serving

On this week’s episode we discussed the need for prayer and we spent some time focusing on Samuel and how God may choose to speak to us. If you haven’t listened to this week’s episode of the Everyday Jesus podcast, do so now by clicking on the play button below.

I wanted to spend a little bit more time focusing in our passage in 1st Samuel 3. We see Eli the priest giving Samuel this advice for the next time the Lord calls out for you, reply, “Speak Lord, your servant hears.”

I want to focus on the later part of that statement. On the podcast we took apart the first part of it, so let’s dive a little deeper into the second part, especially the words – “your servant.”

I think one the key elements in the Christian faith is to see yourself as a servant of God and a servant of others. Serving God is not just apart of the Christian life, it IS the Christian life. Our lives should revolve around finding ways to serve God more faithfully. And consequently, that means we will be looking for ways to serve others.

Jesus himself said that he didn’t come to be served, but rather to serve. We are most like him when we make serving others the primary focus in our lives. His disciples lived this out during their time on earth as well. Listen to Peter:

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1st Peter 4:10

What is the purpose of your spiritual gifts? It’s to serve others. If you have the gift of teaching, use it to serve others. If you have the gift of administration, use it to serve others. Whatever your gift may be, it  was meant for your to share with the body.

When we pray and when we recognize our rightful role as a servant, then we will see God do marvelous things in us and through us. When you start to recognize that you are to be serving others, pride must necessarily take a backseat. You cannot be prideful when you humble yourself before your fellow man.

When you put serving as the priority, you will see God use you in powerful ways. Jesus said that if you really want to be a leader, then you must be a servant. Servant leadership is one of the keys of kingdom living. Jesus expects us as his disciples to be serving God and serving others.