Teacher's Pet or Joyful Servant?

Isaiah 6:8 - Then I heard the Lord asking, "Whom should I send as a messenger to this people?  Who will go for us?"  I said, "Here I am.  Send me."

I remember the first time I really started to read the Bible, I began in the book of Isaiah.  I don't know what made me start there, I just did.  When I came across this passage I remember thinking that Isaiah sounded like a real teacher's pet that was trying to work his way into God's good graces.

As I read the Bible more and more over the next couple of years, and came to understand the nature of God and our Salvation, I realized that wasn't the case.  There is nothing we can do to earn our way into Heaven.  God loves a joyful giver, and He loves a joyful servant.  We are not called to serve God and His chosen people because we are trying to work off our debt to God.  Jesus paid our debt for us, so there is nothing to work off.  We are called to serve God and His people because of the joy that is in our hearts because of our Salvation.  A couple of verses before this one, Isaiah's sins had been forgiven.  What could give someone more joy than that?! After he realized He had been saved, he was excited to get to work serving God's Kingdom.

How about me?  Am I serving God's people with the right motives?  Am I being a teacher's pet, or displaying the heart of a joyful servant?  I need to make sure my heart is in the right place.  If it isn't, I am only doing them a disservice.  I love serving in the different ministries I am involved with.  I love being able to reach out and share and show God's love and be an encouragement to others.  Prior to having a real relationship with God, and finding my home church, I never had that kind of love and encouragement shown to me and I believe it would have made a difference in my life had it been there.

Dear Lord, thank You for allowing me to serve You and Your people with a joyful heart.  I ask for the strength and wisdom that I can only get from You, so that my heart stays focused on You and I serve Your people properly.  Thank You for my Salvation by the blood of Your Son Jesus Christ, and for giving me the heart to serve.  In Jesus' name, Amen!



God Bless!!!