By Jahzell Rodriguez
Key Verse: 11 ….be fervent in spirit,[g]serve the Lord. – Romans 12:11 – ESV
The day I gave my life to Jesus, I remember this overwhelming desire to “serve” Him. I wanted to feel useful to God. I wanted to show him that I loved him and my commitment to follow him was serious. But I did not know how I could serve him or be useful. I was just a young teenager and I was ignorant in the ways of God. All I knew about serving God was based on what I was surrounded by. How I saw others serve God. In worship, in helping others. Yet I did not know what God had called me to do.
This made me feel useless, and it frustrated me. I didn’t understand that God was trying to teach me a great lesson. My desire to serve him shouldn’t be driven by passion alone, but a humble commitment to do his will.
Serving God is so much more than what you see in front of you. its more than an emotional experience, great worship and good music. Serving God is more than reading our bibles and praying every day. Serving God is always about others.
To be able to serve, we must have a committed heart. A heart that is willing to love, without the expectation to praise and acknowledgment of others.
In the scriptures, we find a story of a young man named Elisha. He was a hard-working young man who loved his family and felt a sense of duty to work and provide for his family. Daily he would work the field, with his oxen, plowing the land. With his hard effort. Elisha loved God, and he knew that in his efforts to serve his family, was something that God loved. Young men of his time that showed talent and the gifting of prophesy were often part of schools of prophesy. Those that were not, would take on the profession of their fathers. Such was the case of Elisha
Yet, God had greater plans for Elisha. He was on a mission.
During this time that Elisha worked the fields, there came a great prophet of God. Elijah walked by. Here in front of him stood the man through whom God spoke to his people, the man who called out fire from heaven and defeated the false prophets. The servant of the Lord stood beside him, and in one small gesture. Elijah grabbed his mantle, and placed it over the shoulder of Elisha. Such a small gesture had spoke volumes. Elijah was calling Elisha to follow him, to come be like him.
Elisha quickly took his oxen and sacrificed them to the Lord. He took his livelihood and wealth and gave it to God. Elisha was showing commitment to serve. His devotion and love for God were being shown through his actions. From that moment on, Elisha left with Elijah and he served him. Scripture doesn’t mention Elisha again until the day he took over Elijah’s duties as a prophet. Elisha had a sense of destiny which kept him faithful to his work. He saw the big picture. He knew that God was calling him to something that was far beyond what he could imagine.
When we decide to serve God, we will encounter moments that will test our commitment to Him. Elisha let go of it all willingly. He understood that serving the Lord was his greatest destiny. How is God calling you to serve today?
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