Glorifying God
Isaiah 49:3
“And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
The concept of servant, either having a servant or being a servant, is unfamiliar to most Americans. Only a very small percentage are served by butlers, housekeepers, or personal assistants in our homes. While we may supervise others in the workplace, those individuals are usually considered fellow workers rather than servants.
It is no wonder that we often struggle with the concept of “serving God,” especially when our lives are filled with endless responsibilities and tasks, but Isaiah tells us in this verse that serving is how we show others God’s power and greatness, his splendor. Our American ideals of individualism and personal achievement as success also conflict with the idea of humbling ourselves to do the sometimes unpleasant, dirty work of serving others.
Yet service is our calling. The United Methodist Book of Discipline calls us specifically to live lovingly and justly as servants of Jesus Christ by healing the sick, feeding the hungry, caring for the stranger, freeing the oppressed, being a compassionate presence, and working to develop social structures that are consistent with the gospel.”
Wow! That is a tall order, and one that no one person can fulfill alone. The question becomes: “What can I do to serve the mission of God in the world?”
I often say I am a “cradle Methodist.” Except for a brief stay in a Presbyterian church while living in another state, I have been first a Methodist and then a United Methodist all my life. My parents were wonderful examples of serving others through our church, and I have tried to follow their example. When my children were growing up, my service took the form of helping with children’s and youth ministries. Since my daughters are now adults, I have served in many different capacities.
Recently I felt called to help develop a new ministry in our church to serve the growing community of those dealing with dementia and their caregivers. Thanks to outstanding leadership on the part of our ministers and other members of our church who saw a similar need and felt called to address it, that new ministry is well on its way to becoming a reality.
Our prayer today:
God, thank you for the many and varied gifts and abilities you give us. Open our eyes to the needs of others in our church, community, nation, and world. Help us use our gifts and abilities to meet those needs through joyful service. Amen
This devotional was written by Pat Scruggs and read by Bernice Howard.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.
First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
