The Divineness Of Service



The Divineness Of Service
You believe that the life of Jesus Christ was the noblest life ever lived in this world. No king of earth ever attained such splendid, such real royalty as did he. No human hero on battle-field ever did deeds of such inherent greatness as those wrought by the hands of the Carpenter of Nazareth. And what was the ruling spirit of his life? Was it not service? "Not to be ministered unto, but to minister," was the motto of all his beautiful years. He lived wholly for others. He never had one thought for himself, never did the smallest act for himself. At last he emptied out his very blood in the greatest of all his acts of service. Shall we not learn from our Lord's example that the truest life in this world is one of self-forgetting love? Selfishness anywhere mars and spoils the beauty of the rarest deed. We must get the spirit of service, and then our lives shall be Christ-like.

The path of ministry is a shining ladder steep and hard to climb, but it leads to God's feet. Whosoever would be chief, let him serve. The world is trying to scramble up another way. It thinks the path of unselfish service leads downward. But we have Christ's word that he is greatest who serves most self-forgetfully. Forget yourself. Consecrate your life to Christ. There is no other way to immortal success. Your life will seem to sink away and be lost, but it will be like the rain-drops that fall and disappear, only to come again in living beauty. No life of self-sacrifice for Christ shall fail of eternal honour.

Matthew 20:25-28 (also Mark 10:42-45): But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (KJV)
Acts 20:24: But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. (KJV)
Romans 12:10: Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (KJV)
1 Corinthians 9:19: For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. (KJV)
1 Corinthians 10:24: Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. (KJV)
2 Corinthians 8:9: For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (KJV)
Galatians 6:2: Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. (KJV)
Philippians 2:4: Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (KJV)


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