Kingdom, Part 5 - Daily Steps
Welcome to Daily Steps!
A weekly devotional message with daily scripture readings, prayer prompts, and action steps to help you spend time with Jesus and strengthen your relationship with Him.
Philippians 2:3-5 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Instead, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
A King Who Serves
“The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ But the good Samaritan reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’" – Martin Luther King Jr.
Today's world is so competitive. It's all about improving your skills and knowledge to grow and get ahead of others. But the kingdom of God teaches us to serve others. Jesus taught us this by living His own life in service to others. He is the King of kings, and yet He came to serve humanity. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, life to the dead, performed miracles, and in the end, gave His own life on the cross.
Service to others is not an easy mindset to cultivate. It's entirely the opposite of what our flesh desires. How then do we follow this commandment? It’s by aspiring to enter God's Kingdom, and from the life of Jesus, we learn that true greatness is serving others rather than being served.
Jesus wants us to live a life in which we are always looking for ways to meet others' needs, put others first, and think about what others lack that we can provide. This act of service should become a habit that reflects in all of our relationships, with family, friends, and even at work. When we realize that the only way to serve God is to serve others, then serving others becomes a lifestyle choice, not a burden or a performance. Serving others should not be for self-gratification. To be a servant means that you genuinely care about people. After washing His disciple's feet, which was a great act of love, humility, and service, Jesus said, "I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you" (John 13:15) Jesus led by serving, never placing Himself in a position above others. Jesus wants us to strive for this kind of greatness, not the kind that the world pushes us to pursue.
Jesus came to earth to fulfill God's plan and it’s the same for us. Life here is a journey to enter the Kingdom of God. If our focus is on God's kingdom, our choices will be driven by our love for God and the love He gives us for others. God created us to fulfill our destiny and purpose. but we have to allow the Holy Spirit to dig a little deeper into our hearts and minds to realize it. By spending time getting to know the heart of God through prayer and studying His Word, our true calling will emerge. Living life in alignment with our calling helps us to serve God with passion and humility, gradually transforming our hearts to look more and more like the heart of Jesus. Service to others will become our very nature, and it will flow through us with increasing ease. It's a positive and progressive mindset that removes the fear of competition, selfishness, and lack. It opens our hearts to serve others through our talents, gifts, and abilities, knowing that God will bless our actions if we serve based on His direction and in His strength — not our own. The more we serve God, the more the impact of our service multiplies. The change within us will make a difference in the world and open the doors to God's kingdom.
Daily Bible Readings
Start your day meditating on the Bible verses. Feed your mind with God's promises, and then see how your entire day flows. Make this your daily habit, and you will experience transformation in your life.
Monday - Read Isaiah 58:10. We are aware of the current darkness that looms over all of humanity, while everyone is waiting for the pandemic to be over and life to resume back to normal. However, instead of focusing on the crisis at hand, you are better off thinking of it as an opportunity to serve. There are so many people around you who need help: senior citizens, kids who are struggling with homeschooling, single moms who are trying to juggle their jobs and home life, and neighbors who are lonely and depressed. They are waiting for you to put the love of Jesus into action. This dark time in history will be remembered for how believers came together as a community to serve and how we brought light to the people around us. As you enter a time of prayer today, ask the Holy Spirit to show you how you can serve God.
Tuesday – Read 1 Peter 4:10. Make a list of all the gifts that God has given you. Pray and ask God how He wants you to use these gifts to serve. Look for every opportunity you can volunteer for doing God's work.
Wednesday – Read Colossians 3:23-24. From the moment you wake up until you go to bed, think of all the areas in your life that require effort, from house chores and kids’ homework to your job, church life, and community involvement. Next, expand your thoughts to your neighborhood and country. When you do all of these things as though you are working for the Lord —whether it be paying your bills, grocery shopping, or even preparing meals — you are giving Him the glory and surrendering your choices of where to spend your time, effort, and money. When using your current resources as if you are an accountant working for the Lord, you’ll suddenly feel a greater sense of gratitude for everything you have and become more responsible to use it wisely since it belongs to God. You can hand over your troubles to God because you have an inheritance in God's kingdom.
Thursday – Read Romans 7:6. The pandemic has brought the world to a new normal. Everyone is now connecting online; all businesses have started delivering online services. All of us have had to learn how to put our old ways and mindset aside and adapt quickly. Similarly, Jesus calls us to serve with our spirit and not with our flesh. Whatever we do, we need to do it with a compassionate and loving heart. Serving with the Spirit means that we let the Spirit of God work in us and through us. It increases our dependency on Him to move us rather than relying on our own abilities. It helps us to be humble because we realize our supernatural God can perform miracles through us if we get out of His way. Through His strength and for His glory, opportunities and possibilities abound for us to share the Kingdom of God with others. As you meditate on this verse, think about the areas of your life where you feel stuck and offer them up to God to use or transform them for His service. Surrender everything to the Lord and see how His Spirit works to help you grow.
Friday - Read Romans 12:11. The most important thing in service is zeal. Being passionate about everything that you do makes life beautiful for you and everyone around you. As adults, we forget what we were once passionate about in our childhood. It could be singing, dancing, playing an instrument, writing, etc. What passions has God given you? Spend time laying them at the feet of Jesus today and ask Him to guide you in using them to serve others.
TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP
Grow closer to God each day and explore what it means to be a part of bringing the Kingdom of Heaven down to earth.
Want to Go Even Further?
If you are not already using our weekly study guide with your community group or family members, you're missing out on thought-provoking questions for discussion or individual study.
Get Your Worship On!
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