BELIEVERS’ CALLING
Matthew 20:20-28
Matthew 20:22a: “‘You don’t know what you are asking,’ Jesus said to them. ‘Can you drink from the cup I am going to drink?’”
How sure are people that they want what they’re praying for? Let’s really listen to our prayers. What’s driving our prayers? Are we driven to achieve success, popularity and wealth? Do we ask to be elevated to greatness? Are we like the devil who wanted God’s glory for himself (Isaiah 14:12-15)?
Be careful for what you ask.
Disciples James and John Zebedee (Matthew 4:21) had a mother who wanted them to be great—what most mothers want for her children. She asked Jesus if her two sons could sit at Jesus’ right and left hand in His kingdom.
This created a fire storm among the other disciples. (Matthew 20:21-24). Everyone wanted to be seen as great by surrounding Jesus in His kingdom. Don’t chuckle. Christians still like to surround Jesus and be seen as great today!
Being seen by others as great isn’t believers’ calling.
Check out how Jesus corrects what is believer’s calling in Matthew 20:26. “Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus isn’t a baby in the manger anymore. He’s fully grown. He lived and died over 2000 years ago. He ascended to the father as believers’ Savior. Today, Jesus is believers’ Lord and Master. We’re to follow His example of service. He served the Father by caring for people.
Believers’ calling is to service other people’s earthly and spiritual needs. Service is essential for believers’ spiritual growth. God’s indwelling Spirit works nonstop in believers’ lives to transform us into the image of Master Jesus (Romans 8:29).
The biggest hurdle to overcome is people’s selfishness.
Lowering ourselves in service to others is how believers accomplish God’s purpose for our lives. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
The earlier devotion series, Chosen People, showed that believers are not mistakes. Forming us in our mother’s wombs, God predestined who would be His (Psalm 139:13-16).
Take Home Nugget
Disciples today will also surely drink from the cup that Jesus drank, (from the opening Scripture). But Romans also says in chapter eight, verse 30: “Those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.”
Believers’ high calling to greatness is only realized by lowering ourselves to being a servant.
J.D. Griffith
Written for http://www.Biblestudyforkids.
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