Service of the Cross

Mark 8:33-35 Jesus turned and looked at His disciples and then said to Peter very sternly “Satan get behind me!”  You are looking at this only from a human point of view and not from God’s.”  Then He called His disciples and the crowd to come over and listen. “If any of you wants to be my follower,” He told them, “You must put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross, and follow me closely.  If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it.  Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.”

Our cross to bear is just as Christ’s cross, to serve.  He served with His life to the world.  We are called to serve those in our sphere of influence.  We are called to come along side others and bear one another’s burdens.  That was the cross He carried.  He came along side the world and bore our burdens.

Matthew 11:30 says that His yoke is easy to bear, His Burden is light.  The key is following Him closely.

When we spend our lives pouring into the lives of others, we are energized.  When we stay close to Him, despite of the trials and tribulations that come our way, they are bearable.

Times when we begin to be selfish in our service – wrong motives, complaining, and not giving ourselves completely to the job, we find that our burden is heavier.  We feel drained.  When we take our eyes off Him and just go through the motions, our cross will be harder to bear.

If the Kingdom of God is truly within, then pouring out our life in service to the world, is also pouring out the Kingdom.  When we become self centered, it is because we think we are trying to save our life.  Personally, I find myself loosing it – my peace, joy, love, kindness, etc. when I am self-focused.  When I pour out, I get to see what it is truly like to live abundantly.

Lord, thank you for the passion that you have placed in us for service to your people.  Thank you that you have given us the opportunity to serve each other, and those that you have placed in our sphere of influence.  Help us to stay plugged in to you, despite what comes our way.  Help us to point people to you. Most importantly let me stay connected to the You so that I will have something to pour out.  In Jesus name.  Amen.