IBS: The Economy of God

Luke 17:8—Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink’?

As a Christian, I am a willing bondservant of love to my Savior Jesus. This means I am committed to serve Him with every breath of everyday. I am committed to serving Him all the way; doing everything He has placed in front of me to the best of my abilities and being thorough in all that I do.

It’s a stretch though. I have been raised in a culture that has taught me to put myself above anyone. My needs. My desires. It’s all about survival, and doing anything you have to in order to live the life you want to live. I have grown up in a nation that spends $300 on a pair of sunglasses and maybe every once in a while throws some quarters at a man fishing through a trash can for his weekly meal.

Growing up in a home of 10 people I was always encouraged to have a servants heart. If you get up from the couch to get yourself water, ask if anyone else wants some. Ok, easy enough. I would do so, but secretly be hoping that nobody wanted anything. I have always been so focused on myself. What do I want? What do I need? Who is here to serve me? It’s such a sad mind-set.

Something I hear pastors talk about a lot is the economy of God. Since I committed myself to Jesus Christ, I am no longer a part of this economy. I am a part the economy of God! However, I didn’t quite grasp this concept until I removed myself from my normal culture and came to the ranch. Talk about culture shock! The culture in the economy of God is one of servant-hood, self-sacrificing love, and pure humility. All foreign things to me! After three months here, my mind has been untwisted. I am no longer wrapped up in and around myself, but have actually found myself in the midst of joy when I have the opportunity to serve. I get annoyed when I see someone not finish their chores all the way, complaining about what they have been asked to do, or not doing it to the best of their ability. I don’t mean to say that I am the best servant, but I am learning, and I can feel myself growing in this area.

The Latin translation of the word minister is servant. I am here, going through the Ignite program; to learn how to minister to people through my daily life, the best way to do so, serve! We all need to tune in to what God wants of us, and I believe He wants us to be filled with Him so much that we desire to serve others.

I need to be mindful of the fact that everything I do is a witness of the God I serve. I need to be checking myself. Is my moment-to-moment life proclaiming Jesus? Is my servant-hood proclaiming my first love, Jesus?