Upside Down Kingdom

Upside Down Kingdom

• The Bible Project ( thebibleproject.com ) explains about the upside down kingdom being one of servanthood. Instead of a kingdom with a king and all his subjects following him and worshiping him, Jesus was the one King who served others, loved others and healed them, and He still does. He called us to serve others and not expect anything in return. Yes, we are His servants, but He wants us to follow His example about serving.

Luke 17:7-10 “When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

This hit me today because when I serve others, I like to get a thank you. I want people to recognize my efforts. It is human nature to want thanks, but as we obey Jesus we are to think of serving as a normal part of our day. When we realize all that Jesus has done for us, His grace can become our motive for serving. It becomes like breathing. We may not ever get praised or even recognized for our hard work and effort. This is hard to swallow, but knowing that we show God’s love to others is enough reward. I wish people would applaud your hard work for sending cards, making meals, and visiting the hospital, but the important thing is that God sees your servant’s heart. He knows how much you care for others. Serving becomes second nature as we listen to God and do what He says. It brings us joy to pray for people that we don’t know and look forward to meeting them, and see God answer our prayers!

Matthew 6:4 Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

He will reward you in His time and His way and it is always fun to see a blessing come our way, a card we didn’t expect, a phone call from a friend, a hug from a family member. He shows us different expressions of His love everyday.

So as you serve this season, when you find the right gift, or serve the best meal, remember that God loves you. Seeing the results of the service brings joy to your heart even if you don’t get recognized for your hard work. We are in stealth mode, or secretive and God will reward in His way.

God, thank you for the opportunity to serve. Show us how to serve and we give you all the Glory, honor and praise! In Jesus name, Amen