Render capable of serving

"I was crucified with Christ ; And if I live, it is no longer I who live, it is Christ who lives in me ; If I now live in the flesh, I live in faith to the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me" (Galatians 2:20).

I could write for ten years on how to get involved in ministry, and it would have no effect. But remembering the cross and what Jesus endured there pushes the servant's heart to marvel. You can not come to the cross as a broken sinner, dirty and worthless, to be redeemed, sanctified and loved by your Savior without being changed. When you come to the cross of Jesus, you realize : "I am crucified with Christ."

When you live in the power of the crucified Christ, you can not serve Him. You do not need to be asked to serve. In fact, nothing could keep you from engaging in any kind of service. You will have to program your schedule carefully, because serving will come naturally to you.

We can not change by doing penance and repeating to ourselves that we must try harder. No, we can not do it ourselves, but the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus gives us the power to give up our lives for Him and for others. We look around and see many people who are in need - people who are looking for a church filled with love. They may have had a horrible week, but when they pass the door of a church belonging to the Lord, they must see and feel that there is something different about it.

Because we have been "crucified with Christ," our servant heart can touch others with His love and help them to change, too.

Gary Wilkerson