A Servant's Heart (Part 3)

 

As an act of true servanthood, you must plant your life like a seed. Your life equals your will. It is your personal plans, purposes, pursuits and desires. Your life must be planted in order for God's life (His will) to be expressed through you. When you lay down your life for God, you are replacing your will with His.

 

 

• If you want to receive the greatest harvest from your life, it must be planted as a seed (John 12:24-26).In order to harvest corn, it must first be planted.

  Likewise, your life (your will) must be like a seed that is planted for God's use.

  Your life is your will. When you plant your will, and let it die like a seed, the harvest will come up greater than you can imagine.
   

• God must increase in your life, and you (your interests and desires) must decrease (John 3:30).People have a difficult time sacrificing themselves. Why is it so hard for them to lose their will, desires and feelings that move them away from God?

  They are afraid of losing the life they've planned for themselves because they don't know what is on the other side of sacrificing their own will and desires.

  Satan wants us to fear that what God says won't come to pass.

  You must get rid of fear and believe God loves you enough that when you die to your desires, you will receive a harvest.For example, Peter stated that he would lay down his life for Jesus, but Jesus knew he was afraid (John 13:36-38, AMP).

  Peter was so afraid that when the pressure was on him, he denied Jesus three times.

  Today, many people are afraid that God's Word won't come to pass in their lives.

  When you are afraid, you will crown yourself god of your life and you will refuse to cast your cares on God.

  Jesus asked a rich, young ruler to sacrifice his material possessions for the sake of following Jesus, but the ruler wouldn't do it, and walked away grieved (Mark 10:21-22).

  He was grieved because he had great possessions.

  This rich, young ruler viewed giving up his material things as a great loss.

  Every day, you will have opportunities to die to yourself (1 Corinthians 15:31, AMP).

  Lasciviousness, or no restraint, has an open door into your life when you refuse to die to your sinful desires.

  Die to sin and other destructive habits, such as complaining and being critical.

  Dying to your selfish desires is an act of love for God.

  Often people say they love God, but their love is not proven through their actions.

  God wants evidence of our love for him.

  Evidence of our love is to deny those things that contradict the Word of God.

  To love God is to say no to feelings, desires and emotions that oppose His Word.

  What is the purpose of your Christianity?

  To empty your life and to be filled with God's life.

  To be a reflection of God's character.

  To be a genuine witness for God.
   

• How do you deny self? Take up your cross and follow Jesus (Mark 8:34-36, AMP).

  Jesus said, whoever will lose their lives or their wills for His sake, or for the sake of the Gospel's, will save them.

  A greater life will come out of dying to self.

  Think of the many people who will suffer because of your selfishness.

  Compromising is not an option when you make a decision to die to selfishness.
   

• You must forgive.

  Unforgiveness will cause you to be tied to the person you have not forgiven.

  If you don't forgive unconditionally, God can't heal you or the person against whom you have a grudge.

  Learn to die to feelings and desires that move you out of the will of God for your life, such as unforgiveness.

  Desire to be more like Jesus. He was compassionate toward people.

  Deny the spirit of selfishness, which is the spirit of Satan.

  Continue to set your desires aside (Matthew 16:24, 25).

 

Scripture References

 

• John 12:24-26

• John 3:30

• John 13:36-38, AMP

• Mark 10: 21, 22

• 1Corinthians 15:31, AMP

• Mark 8:34-36, AMP

• Matthew 16:24, 2