Women Of Service - Dinner #30

     In John 18:37, Christ declares to Pilate, “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world . . .” Have you ever stopped to think about why God may have wanted YOU in the world? What is your PURPOSE?  What is it that God wants you to do with your life?  Isaiah 43:7 “Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.”  God created you for His glory!  Are you glorifying Him with your life?

     Throughout Scripture, we find women who had a heart for ministering and serving others. A certain Shunammite woman in Elisha’s day made a place for the man of God to rest during his travels (II Kings 4:10). Luke 8:2-3 tells us of women followers who shared what they had with Jesus.  A widow woman in the New Testament gave sacrificially of her finances (Luke 21:2-3). Dorcas had a sewing ministry to help the widows in the early church (Acts 9:36,39).  Priscilla helped her husband to disciple a man named Apollos (Acts 18:26). What is it that God has laid on YOUR heart to do? Is there some talent or interest that He has given you to serve Him with?

     God does not call each one of us to complete the same tasks in life.  He gives each Christian lady certain spiritual gifts, and has a special job for each one of us to do.  I Corinthians 12:18, 28 “But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. . . And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers . . .” But no matter what gift God has given to you - no matter what ministry in the church - we must remember that He wants us to serve with LOVE!  I Corinthians 13:3 “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” In your area of service, are you ministering to others out of LOVE?  I John 4:10-11 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” Why should we desire to lovingly serve others for the Lord? Because He gave Himself out of love for us! Who should our example be in our service to God? The Lord Jesus Christ! Matthew 20:28 “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

     The Lord recently led me to I Peter 4:11 “ . . . if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”  As a mother with a young baby, I may not be able to go out on door-to-door visitation as easily as I would like, or be involved in as many church ministries as I once was, but I can minister “as of the ability which God giveth”!  I believe with all my heart that if you are seeking to follow after Christ, He gives you the godly interests and desires that you have, for a reason!   Just this past week, I have been discovering the amazing possibilities of telling others about the Lord over the internet. The new "Dinner's In The Oven" devotional blog now has a blog partner entitled "Pika's Preschool", listing my personal reviews of wholesome children's books.  My prayer is that many unsaved people interested in researching children's literature will be curious enough to check out the devotional blog as well, and be reached with the Gospel! http://www.pikaspreschool.blogspot.com/   It is also just another way to help and encourage Christian mothers and teachers!  Do you feel as though God has been placing a special ministry desire in YOUR heart? Do not be afraid to trust Him for it! May you find what it is that God is calling you to do, and do it with all your heart!