Be Available to Serving God by Getting Out of the Way

Before there was 1Glories, there were several other blogs. My personal blog, a baseball blog, a blog specific to the history of baseball in northeast Indiana, a blog to explore ins and outs of social media, a one-year only blog that sought to opine on a daily devotional from J. Sidlow Baxter’s “Awake My Heart,” even a blog that used Socratic Dialogue for exploring common pop culture topics. Some were more popular than others but they all had a common thread: they were what I wanted. None of them – with the possible exception of the devotional centered one – sought to serve God.

They were all about serving me and my needs. They were blocking me from seeing God’s vision for my life.

That’s why today’s post, which rounds out the first of twelve categories in the Year of Listening Up, focuses on what it means to be available to serving God by getting your self out of the way. Sure, you will receive blessings and benefits along the way, but glorification of God must be the motive.

Serving God Means Giving Up Self

I am currently leading a Sunday school class that’s working through a study of the book of Ephesians. In a recent lesson, we talked about what it means to be submissive in our relationships with each other and with God.

In our culture, being submissive is generally frowned upon. I immediately think to the image of a pro wrestler or MMA fighter who would express utter shame and be subjected to endless ridicule if he or she were force to tap out – or submit to their opponent. It’s considered weakness, defeat, and loss. It’s a source of shame while propping up someone else’s pride and ego in the process.

The real shame of it is our culture’s misguided understanding of submission. Being submissive takes more strength than many realize. It does not mean to quit, give up or even take the loss. In fact, there is much to be gained through submission.

God is not our opponent... He's our greatest advocate! Click To Tweet

Too often, we hold onto something from our pasts for all the wrong reasons. Maybe it has to do with tradition, or comfort, or just sheer stubbornness. Usually, it’s because we’re afraid of the change it might usher into our lives. Whatever the reason, it is most often a selfish motive. This is true of the prejudices and biases we develop, which eventually burrow into our worldviews. At that point, it’s safe to say they’ve tainted our hearts. And our heart’s longing often lead us into foolish endeavors or skew our view of what should be.

I’ve got many prejudices that – when I am honest – still need to work their way from my heart. I’m not talking about racism, sexism or any other for of far-leaning isms. Rather, I am talking about judgmental castings and emotions. Coveting. Jealousy. Resentment. Bitterness. They all exist in my shallow heart. And – like it or not – God can read my heart

You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night,
you have tested me, and you will find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

–  Psalm 17:3

Serving God Means Pleasing God

So, why does it matter if those things exist in our heart? After all, we are human and God created us. Why is it not okay for me to be bitter, resentful, jealous or coveting in my ways. It is – after all – a “dog eat dog” world, is it not? I’m just trying to get mine. I’m just trying to get the most of what I can while I can.

It’s very common for us to feel this way, yes. But we would be wise to recognize the folly of such ways (go give Ecclesiastes a read if you think otherwise). The truth of the matter, when we are resentful and allow that resentment to fester into bitterness and jealousy, it spawns darker troubles, often leading to rage and other emotion fueled shortcomings.

Almost always, if you were to trace the steps back, there is a selfish motive that gave berth to whatever if was that got you into that mess. We are seeking to feed the beast of self when we should have been seeking to please God. Let’s consider 1 Thessalonians 2:4, which says:

but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.

Let’s also look at Galatians 1:10, which says:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

As we seek a refining life, on purpose, we should aim to rid our lives of those negative sentiments and drivers. Our ambitions must be in sync with God’s plans. He faithfully prepares us. We should strive to live a life pleasing to Him rather than our own selfish interests. Similarly, our motives should seek first to bring glory to God rather than to appease a boss, mentor or any other person that is within a center of influence.

Seek ye a life that first seeks to Glorify God. Click To Tweet

Serving God Means Being Filled by The Holy Spirit

Finally, don’t dismiss the role of the Holy Spirit in your walk. All too often, we focus exclusively on God and the Son, but leave out the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet, the Holy Spirit is a vital contributor to our walk and should never be overlooked or forgotten.

Ever hear the phrase, “the Devil made me do it” as a tongue-in-cheek way of excusing a poor choice in your behavior? I don’t think there a many people who really believe the Devil compelled them to act they way they did. We know but try to cover the fact that our shameful act is rebellion and an unfortunate condition of our hearts – hearts that have been tainted or blackened by sin nature.

Brothers and sisters, our goal should be the cleansing work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts so our good works are compelled by the Holy Spirit – so we rid our hearts of an overwhelming bent towards sin. That is what it means to be “filled” by the Holy Spirit. Be Joyous. Be Thankful. Be Submissive.

Be relentlessly seeking a heart that is filled by the Holy Spirit. In so doing, we shall be ready and available to be fully used in serving God.

---

This post is part of the “A Year of Listening Up” project here at 1Glories. The project is based upon the life lessons and Listen Up, Kids (LUK) wisdom shared in the book, Listen Up, Kids, which is available for purchase in paperback and Kindle formats at Amazon.com.