Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 18

Serve One Another in Love

Lord, how would you have us serve others? Submitting ourselves to one another is a difficult task. You are the Lord of the universe, and yet, You set a serving example for us by washing the disciples’ feet. Lord, do you really require that of us? Furthermore, You submitted Yourself to the Father’s will and died on the cross to pay my sin debt. You laid down Your life in exchange for mine. Thank You, Jesus. You are the ultimate servant leader.

A Message from God’s Heart to Yours:

Serving one another in love fulfills the second greatest commandment under the new covenant: Love your neighbor as yourself. This is second only to the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s that important to submit to one another in love, as Christ submitted Himself to death on the cross, giving Himself up for His bride, the church. You are able to love, because He first loved you (1 John 4:19).

Don’t get hung up on the words ‘servant’ and ‘submission.’ To submit yourself means to be obedient, surrendering your will to another. I, first, require that you submit yourself to Me. You will be obedient to Me as you submit yourself to another and serve another in love. I am King of kings and Lord of lords, however, I did not come to earth to be served, but to serve. I am a servant King, and I require no less of you.

When you serve another in love, you will be blessed (John 13:17). I modeled serving the Father, as I served My disciples by washing their feet. I humbled Myself and the Father exalted Me. I do not ask you to do more than I, myself, will do.

Perhaps you need to complete a pride inventory. Do you carry pride in your heart? If so, do what you must do to quickly get rid of all pride, haughtiness, and arrogance. Pride is detestable to Me (Proverbs 16:5). Humble yourself and I will exalt you (Matthew 23:12). Those who are greater should become the lesser, and those who rule should become the ones who serve (Luke 22: 26-27). Take up your cross and follow Me (Luke 9:23-24), then follow My example. Whoever loses their life for Me will save it. Let go of your pride.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:21-27). Be obedient to Me and submit to one another in love. Lay down your pride and serve one another, as I have served you by the laying down of My life. That is how much I love you.

Prayer:

Lord God Almighty, thank You for humbling Yourself by leaving Your throne in heaven to take on the flesh of mankind. Thank You for submitting to the Father’s will by laying down Your life for Your bride, the church, to make us spotless, holy, and blameless. I am so grateful that You paid the full debt of My sin, by death on the cross, to make me presentable to my Heavenly Father. Thank you for making the way for me to be reconciled to Him. I appreciate the opportunity You give me to communicate with God as His child and friend. Please allow me to hear Your voice clearly in these few moments I spend with You in the secret place. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen.

Two-way Conversation with God: 

• Father God, please share Your heart with me; share Your desires for how I can best serve others. (Record all thoughts and ideas He gives you right now.)

 

• Jesus, my Savior, please help me know Your heart for serving others. Teach me to be willing to follow in Your footsteps and the example You set for me. Please give me ideas of how I can bring glory to You by serving others.

 

• Holy Spirit, please reveal all the ways I am prideful. I confess the sin of pride in my heart and ask forgiveness. How may I do better in the future of submitting my spirit to Yours? Please give me examples of changes that need to be made in my life to be obedient to Your will of serving others. (Write every thought that the Holy Spirit impresses on you.)

 

Review the Holy Spirit’s thoughts and impressions you’ve sensed and written above. What Scripture comes to mind as you review your notes? Use the concordance of your Bible to look up an impression from God’s Word. Record the verse or passage here. Write all insights and encouragement the Holy Spirit illumines for you as you read God’s Word right now.

Prayer:

 Dear Lord, thank You for communicating Your heart’s desires of how I might serve You and others in ways that bring glory to Your name. Humble me and help me be reverent and respectful to You by being obedient to Your commands to love and serve one another. Help me to submit to You and to others, the way Jesus submitted Himself to You and Your will. May you receive all the glory, honor, and praise. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I pray. Amen.

Supporting Scripture:

Proverbs 6:16-19, There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Proverbs 16:5, The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

Matthew 20:26-28, “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 23:12, For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Luke 22:26-27, “But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”

John 13:5…12-17, After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciple’s feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him…When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Galatians 5:13-14, You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather; serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Ephesians 5:21-27, Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Ephesians 6:7-8, Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

Colossians 3:23-24, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

James 4:6-8, But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you.

1 John 4:19, We love because He first loved us.

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