Serve The Lord

Text
“Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli.” (1 Samuel 3:1, NLT).

Insight
Christian lingo can be a funny thing. The words and phrases we use can lose their meaning over time. They can sound profound, significant and important, but what do they really mean?
One such phrase is: “Serve the Lord.” Since I was in Sunday School as a boy, I have known on one level or another I needed to “Serve the Lord.” Haven’t you??? I don’t know about you, but this phrase elicits pictures of people like: Billy Graham, Mother Theresa or a guy in a priestly collared black shirt. Unfortunately, the phrase has lacked clarity and I dismiss it because I don’t see myself like that…
That said, 1 Samuel 3:1 says, “The boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli” (NLT). The NIV translates it, “The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli.” This puts a whole new twist on serving and ministering to the Lord. This verse gives me a much different image and connects serving the Lord and serving someone else. Therefore, I must begin asking: Who has the Lord put me under? How can I serve that person? How does assisting them actually minister to God?
The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) gives me a concrete example of serving the Lord. At the heart of serving the Lord is considering “others as better than” myself and the need to “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). Also, Matthew 25:31- 46 tells me, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” These passages help me practically serve the Lord. Are you serving the Lord? Or are you serving yourself?

Prayer
Father, help me to grasp the reality that serving others is serving You. Redefine ministry and servant-hood in my life. Reveal those in need who I can assist. Help me to honor those over me. In Jesus name, AMEN.