We're back on schedule, and it’s blog day!! I hope this past week you've been able to stand in the Lord's goodness and just be in awe of Him and all He’s created! Today I want to talk about what it looks like to be a servant of the Lord no matter where you are. Right now, as leaving for the race is getting closer, I keep finding myself overlooking where the Lord has placed me right now. Obviously, when I’m on the mission field, I’ll be serving the Lord; however, that doesn’t mean that while I’m still here, God hasn't also called me to serve. 

As Christians, we are servants of the Lord no matter where we are! I think that this is the coolest thing because it just shows how God can use anyone, anywhere they are. I know sometimes it can be pretty hard to figure out how to serve Him where we are, but the bible is actually filled with specific ways we are called to serve. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” God literally tells us to use the gifts He has already given us to serve! He doesn’t give us this whole list of requirements and qualities we need to have to show His love to others; we're able to do so with what we are already given. So, my first practical step is to look at the gifts God has given you. This truly can be anything from creativity to speaking and teaching to listening well. There are so many gifts the Lord gives, so use them for others! 

God also tells us what our intentions should be in service. If we have selfish intent to look good or for our own ambition, then our service is worth nothing. Instead, God tells us to serve others in love. Galatians 5:13 tells us, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” We need to set our heart posture before we serve and make sure we are doing it out of love for the Lord and for others. 

In church the other day I heard something that really spoke to me. It was that in every room you walk into, you have the opportunity to be a blessing or to be impressive, but you can’t be both. If your intention in service or anything you do is to impress others and make them think highly of you, then there is no way you will be a light and blessing to them. We cannot live for the praise of man and the Lord because serving two masters is impossible. I know I’m going off track a little bit, but I promise it all does tie together. As Christians and servants of the Lord, we are called to a higher standard. This means higher than what other people expect of us too! But higher also means different. God doesn’t call us to be successful and wealthy and have a perfectly balanced life. Rather, God calls us to fully lay down our lives for Him and surrender our own ways to serve Him and grow the Kingdom. So, if we are constantly chasing the standard and praise of man, then we won't seek and live out the standard God has called us to. 

This leads to my last point, which is that God tells us to serve humbly. It is possible to serve out of love and then go tell everyone about it after, but God tells us to serve others without expecting to get anything out of it. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.” Now this isn't something that's very normal in our culture today. Often when we do things for others, we expect that they will do something in return for us. But this isn’t what we are called to. I think that this is what makes serving people in places we may never go again so special. It allows us to pour into others in service without the thought that they'll need to do something for us later. So, serve others with humility and without any expectation of praise or something in return. When we serve, we do it for the glory of God and Him alone. 

Remember that no matter where you are or what gifts you have, God can use you! You don't have to be in a foreign country or have a list of super special talents to show others the love of Christ. God is capable of all things, and when you trust that He can use you for the Kingdom, He will! Jesus loves you so much and has placed you where you are at the right time on purpose, so don’t doubt His ability to grow the Kingdom of Heaven through you.