[EdenSage]

I appreciate your emphasis on how Adam walked with God and recognised his presence. As you outlined, before the fall, man enjoyed unhindered fellowship with God and after sin was introduced, man hid himself from the presence of God. There was no shame or guilt or fear before Adam’s disobedience and many years after redemption we still find that these things are a huge distraction and hindrance even amongst believers. Many people struggle with a consistent fellowship with God. Some do not recognise his voice or understand his will. All these uncertainties are as a result of man’s separation from God.
If only we will believe totally and plunge ourselves completely into the word of God, we will find that the effects of sin on our soul/physical senses begin to dissipate. Hence the importance of renewing our mind with God’s word and being led by the Holy Spirit.
Just as a fish will find it difficult to survive outside water, man struggles and walks around in confusion when he is outside his natural habitat; the presence of God. James 4:8 encourages us to draw near to God, cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. As we embrace the gift of redemption we are transformed and changed. The old Adamic nature is displaced and as Christ is, so are we in this world.

[EdenSage]

I totally agree with your position on how service in church is propelled by a genuine love for God.
The value we place on a thing or person will be seen in our commitment as we give our time, talent or treasure.
According to scriptures, love can grow cold and when that happens, commitment can wane. In such a case we may not say that a person has outgrown service but it may be evident that their desire to serve is diminished.
In your comment, you have balanced this well by stating that a relationship with God can sustain service and again I agree. When a person focuses on pleasing God and not pleasing people, their strength is renewed and they are able to develop creative ways to stay in service to the one they love. Love always has a heart to give and as leaders continue to fan the flame of love, they will always devise ways to serve.
In a case where a leader considers themselves too highly placed to serve, it may be as a result of pride. You addressed this by detailing how submitting oneself to the authority of God’s word and walking by his Spirit, will regulate and maintain a good heart that is willing to serve.
As we walk closely to God, it becomes easier to derive joy and fulfillment of purpose in our service to humanity.

[EdenSage]

According to the teaching in this lesson, we are taught that service cannot be outgrown. This is in fact true in my opinion because I have observed, and you may agree, that as a person grows older, there is a higher call to service. For example, when we were teenagers and lived with our parents or guardians, we were expected or mandated to serve in basic chores (at least). As adults with families, we are not only expected to serve our spouses and children but there is an innate desire to be relevant in society and this is expressed in our seeking employment formally or informally. Better put, every responsible adult, desires to provide a service that will cause satisfaction; either in securing an income or bringing them fame.
This discussion is however focused on a leader who has grown in the ranks and the scripture used to highlight this point is Luke 16:10-13 (NLT)
“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should you be trusted with things of your own? “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
A leader who has grown in the ranks has clearly exhibited faithfulness and can continue to serve actively by making a deliberate effort to stay involved and on top of their responsibilities. With a good understanding of accountability, they will realise the importance of following up on delegated tasks. Such a leader will also see the need to give feedback to their own supervisors. When a leader works closely with members of their team, they are able to “impart” some skills such as integrity, transparency, diligence, empathy etc. This is also a way of service as it builds the rest of the body/ team.
An important point to consider is the risk of a hectic schedule for leaders who are top ranking. In such a case, a healthy culture that allows freedom of expression may be helpful. This ought to be presented from the onset in the workplace or within teams so that in the event that responsibilities are overwhelming, leaders should be able to step down temporarily or permanently without fear of condemnation or judgement or loss of privileges.
Numbers 8:23-26 (NLT)
“The Lord also instructed Moses, “This is the rule the Levites must follow: They must begin serving in the Tabernacle at the age of twenty-five, and they must retire at the age of fifty. After retirement they may assist their fellow Levites by serving as guards at the Tabernacle, but they may not officiate in the service. This is how you must assign duties to the Levites.”
While there are scriptures that assure us that we can do all things and our strength is renewed, we see from the text in the book of Numbers that retirement or stepping down is also an option in the place of service.
In the event that a leader steps down voluntarily, they may continue to serve by providing guidance and support to their teams while respecting the boundaries of the new leadership.

[Author]

Posts