A Servant's Heart

Scripture – Matthew 5:7-12: ⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. ¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) Jesus describes all kinds of people who are blessed. It seems like the blessing may not be so evident to people in the midst of their situations. It’s like the blessing in the present is based on the future promise – “for they will be shown mercy,” “for they will see God.” Often, faithful living and serving does not bring an immediate reward. That’s one of the odd dynamics of Christian living. The size or intensity of the reward I receive is directly related to how little I seek it. So I don’t serve someone to hear, “Thank you.” I serve because they need help.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I’ll be mindful of my motives today. Often they’re mixed. I will do a couple things out of a servant perspective – expecting nothing in return.

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Lord, you know that’s hard for me. I often tell people I’m happy to do something for them and then, I feel some resentment when they don’t give me something in return. I’m sorry for that. Please give me your servant’s heart today.

An Invitation – If you’re interested in a face to face discussion about what we’ve been discovering in the Mini-Journal, a small group will be meeting this Sunday morning, 9:45 – 10:30am, at the Southgate Fun and Fitness Center (on Northline near I-75). Look for them around one of the tables in the Café area.