Serving the Lord… in Humility
(This is part one of a seven-part devotional series from Acts 20:13–38.)
BIBLE READING: Acts 20:13–19
KEY VERSE:
“…serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews” (v. 19)
There was probably no one in the early Church who had more reason to be proud than the apostle Paul. Before he came to Christ he was a highly trained, extremely competent, strongly driven man (see Philip. 3.4–6 and Acts 22.3). And after coming to Christ, he became one of the key leaders in the expansion of the Church. But what kind of leader was he? In Acts 20.13–38 we find out. He is addressing the spiritual leaders, the elders, of the church in Ephesus. It is a deeply impacting speech. It shows us so much of Paul’s heart as well as his doctrine and his view of leadership. So let’s look for the next seven days at what Paul says about his ministry, at what it means to serve the Lord biblically, remembering that he has to be honest and transparent, because he had lived and ministered among these men for three years. They knew him well.
The first thing that Paul says is that he was serving the Lord. What comes to your mind when you think of “serving the Lord”? All too often Evangelicals forget who is serving whom. Our attitudes toward God should be like dogs toward their masters: “You feed me, you pet me, you shelter me, you love me . . . YOU must be GOD!” Sadly, we too often are like cats, who “say” to their masters, “You feed me, you pet me, you shelter me, you love me . . . I must be GOD!” Paul teaches us that God doesn’t exist to serve and bless us, but that WE exist to serve and “bless” Him. We are to serve our master in humility. This is first and foremost the understanding that God has absolute rights over our lives. He owns us. We are His. He can do with us whatever He pleases. He has complete authority to tell us what is best for us, and we have the privilege of accepting this joyfully! It is a spirit of total yieldedness and submissiveness to Him as our master. He is the Potter, we are the clay. He is the Shepherd, we are the sheep. He is the Vine, we are the branches.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord and Master, help me always be aware of your ownership of my life, always be joyfully submissive to your leadership and always serve you in humility. Father, help me always live for YOUR glory!
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About the Author
João (but you can call him John) is a “Great Commission Entrepreneur”, passionate about starting and leading anything — mission agencies, churches, businesses — that helps fulfill the Great Commission. He loves to speak, teach, preach and write about God’s glory in all areas of life and among all peoples of the world. His work has appeared in numerous books and in Christianity Todayand The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, among others. He holds degrees in sociology and practical theology, specializations in systematic theology and entrepreneurship, and doctorates in intercultural studies (D.Int.St.) and religious studies (Ph.D.). You can connect with him at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Podcasts, as well as joao.mordomo@gmail.com.
