October Topic: Serving

I got back from Halifax on Monday (after five weeks away), and have been slowly rebuilding a routine here at home. So I'm a little late getting to my October topic of the month. I'll be linking to articles on how we can serve people with the gifts that God has given us.

Here is a necessary reminder from Joni Eareckson Tada that we need to be Serving in His Strength:

Christ did not lay down His life for others in an emotional vacuum. So if I was to have His attitude toward the people He was calling me to serve, it meant serving with warmth and passion. With fervent devotion. Zeal and spirited affection. Even pleasure.

"Pleasure? Service is supposed to be a pleasure?" I knew what it involved. It meant making myself nothing, humbly nailing every snobby sentiment to the Cross, and becoming obedient to death. Dying to self—putting to death the "let others do it" mentality—would open the door to loving, really loving God. Only then would I love and serve people as He did....

It all falls apart if there is no passion for God. Deep and abiding devotion to Jesus energizes service that is tiring or rigorous. Affection that is warm and heartfelt can give boundless joy to a difficult task. Fervent love for the Lord takes the squeamishness out of duty that's distasteful.

Perhaps that's why Jesus always made a point of abiding in Him. Surely He, the Vine, had more than just fruit in mind for us branches when in Jn. 15:4 He said, "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you." Life that sustains and invigorates service can only be realized through a deep and personal union with Him; and you can't get more intimate than being a branch grafted into a vine.