POWERHOUSE DEVOTIONALS: THE COST OF SERVICE

By Joshua Samuel Valido

According to Communicate Jesus, a digital Christian ministry, there are twenty-nine common reasons why Christians choose either not to serve at church or leave the current ministry they are involved in. Eleven of them are caused by personal, family, and relationship conflicts, while some stem from work interests and demands.

Being in the ministry for quite some time may have left us overwhelmed, realizing that committing to the Lord's works is not like sitting on a sofa while watching our favorite Netflix show. More often than not, we will see ourselves working against our timetable and stepping out of our comfort zones. Worst, we might encounter conflicts on schedule at work, and with friends, family, and even our personal plans. We may even find ourselves in disagreement with the people around us due to differing beliefs.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." - Matthew 16:24

That is the cost of following Jesus. Taking up our cross is to die to ourselves. This means dying to our own plans and desires, and letting Christ lead us to do what He wants us to do. Our commitment to the ministry is our response to God's calling, and in doing so, we are submitting ourselves to Him.

Tiring as it may seem, working for the Lord gives us incomparable joy which we can only gain whenever we use our God-given skills for His glory. We were given different tasks and different calling, but surely, God sees everything that we do and none of these go to waste.

As Paul encouraged the believers in 1 Corinthians 15:58, "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

We might be currently serving the Lord but are experiencing hardships and planning to leave, or we might not yet be in the ministry but are hesitant because of the fear that we might lose things that we value. However, keep in mind that we serve the King of Kings. What else can He not give us? God is calling us to serve and He is waiting for our response.

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