I want to be more a servant

During the sermon today, I thought back about my days in JC when I was running for the art club president that time. I made a poster and placed my photo with two words, “Sophia Serves”. I am reminded of what my life is all about. I am clear that my purpose of living is to reproduce myself in the lives of people, investing time and energy in them, to love them with God’s love and to cradle them into the kingdom of heaven. Caught in His grace the very day I know him, I know that I am heading towards fulfilling this purpose day by day.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:10-111

1Serve out of humility, not pride
The few vices I can identify in Stuart’s definition of ‘pride’, is that I am a ‘perfectionist-type’ person, who wants to be the best of everything, and there are many moments that I felt the need to ‘be praised and coaxed to serve’. Sometimes, we serve from a fear of man, and like I have said before, I am always afraid to be a mediocre person who cannot meet up to the expectations of Man. But God has been changing my perspective and turning my life around ever since. I remember last Christmas service when I was doing the backdrop, making all the props, doing makeup for the dancers, and last Easter service when I was behind the scene, fanning the dry ice, carrying hot water, dressed in black throughout the whole service. I felt rended and that people were demanding a lot from me in my multi-taskings. I was unhappy because I felt I had deserved better. I could be dressed up like the rest of the actors, I could have looked better. But in the course of it, God taught me a very important lesson in my acts of service to Him. I have learnt that I do not always need to be in the forefront of things, looking pompous and glamorous. God descended me to humility when He taught me how I can do the most unglamorous things but still honour Him the most in the gifts He has so graciously lavished on me. I look to the Pastor I met in Bogor, Indonesia, who is one leader I will say she is really someone who will wash the feet of others like Jesus. I want to be like Jesus in serving, because the heart of Christianity is really about humility. I resolute today that in my service to the cg, to TAV, to my friends, my loved ones, my students, I want to serve them with pure humility just like what Jesus will do. I will ask for no fame and no recognition. God, snatch my pride away from me today.

2 Serve out of love for others, not personal prestige
“We can do no great things, only small things with great love. It is about servanthood, not greatness. It is about love and a God who is love. It is all about God and not about us. God is God.” Mother Theresa

I love this quote from Mother Theresa. David asked me earlier in the week, "If there is only one word that you will use to define ‘God’ , what will you use?" I said ‘God is love”. I always know that God has given me the capacity to love others naturally with His love. And this gift, I need to keep exercising to bring them nearer to God. It is really not about how many great things I have done to the lives of people around, but how great the love is behind the small things I have done, with God’s might. When we serve others with love, we give up the right to be in charge, and the right to choose. I seek to love others more than myself today and continue to love them with the best I can. God is love.

3 Serve out of God’s strength, not physical; (fleshly) power
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:3-11

I felt sorry for the last week that I had been ill most of the days and that really discounted my service to others. I also pray for forgiveness for the times I have thought of my interests rather than others. As He becomes greater in my life, I pray I will love others more than myself. I pray especially for next week to be one that I can serve, give and love more. I testify that each time of stepping out to do so, is God’s strength, time and energy given to me. Looking back, I could not have achieved them without God in my life. I need to stop milling around but be focused in this mission which I will endure on, and I will always pray that I will serve from the inside out to a God, who knows me from the inside out from the very beginning.

I have a great God who empowers me to do great things for Him. And so do you =)