I have been praying about what message to send to you and I felt the
Lord leading me to focus on having a servant's heart. Many times we
put off serving the Lord because we think it will affect our lifestyle
and keep us from having a good time. The truth is that serving and 
giving of ourselves is the way that God puts that sense of peace, 
happiness and gratitude in our life. Jesus said only by giving can
we receive and only by loving can we be loved. If you are struggling
in the area of serving others, then I hope this message will help 
you to see the benefits of being a servant. 
(2 Corinthians 9:7-10) (1 John 4:10-13)


I found this story to be inspiring and challenging and thought you would
be blessed by it. I hope it strikes a chord in your heart and challenges 
you to focus on the needs of others, and in return receiving the blessings
of having a servant's heart.


IT'S A START

We know a wealthy couple in Dallas who have really struggled with 
teaching their children servanthood. For one thing, the kids have had
almost whatever they've wanted for years. They've become so accustomed
to others meeting their needs that the idea of "serving" sounded like
something from the Middle Ages...or Mars. 

The father in that family realized he was getting a late start, but hey it
was better than no start at all!

A week or so before the holidays, he said to his family, "We're going to do
something different this Thanksgiving." His teenagers sat up and listened.
Usually when he said things like that it meant something exotic. Like
parasailing in the Bahamas. 

But not this time. "We're going to go down to the mission," he told them,
"and we're going to serve Thanksgiving dinner to some poor and homeless
people."

"We're going to what?" "Come on, Dad, you're kidding...aren't you? Please
tell us you're kidding."

He wasn't. They went along with it because of his firm insistence, but no
one was happy about it. For some reason their dad had "gotten weird" and
apparently it was something he just had to get out of his system. Serving
at the mission! What if their friends heard about it?

No one could have predicted what happened that day. And no one in the 
family could remember when they had a better time together. They hustled
around the kitchen, dished up turkey and dressing, sliced pumpkin pie and
refilled countless coffee cups. They clowned around with the little kids
and listened to old folks tell stories of Thanksgivings long ago and far away. 

The dad in the family was thoroughly pleased and would you believe even 
stunned by the way his kids responded. But nothing could have prepared 
him for their request a few weeks later. 

"Dad...we want to go back to the mission and serve Christmas dinner!"

And they did. As the kids hoped, they met some of the same people they'd
become acquainted with at Thanksgiving. One needy family in particular had
been on their minds, and they all lit up when they saw them back in the
dinner line again. Since that time, the families have had several contacts.
The pampered teenagers have rolled up their sleeves more than once to serve
the family from one of Dallas's poorer neighborhoods. 

There was a marked but subtle change in that home. The kids didn't seem 
to be taking things for granted anymore. Their parents found them more 
serious...more responsible. Yes, it was a late start. But it was a start!

By Gary Smalley and John Trent


I hope you have found a bit of inspiration in this story that shows how it
is much better to serve others rather than to be served ourselves. I have
said it many times, and I believe it is worth repeating again. Jesus said
by loving others is the way all people will know that we are His disciples.
Love is the greatest of all attributes and by serving others, God's love
is made manifest. (John 13:34-35) (Romans 13:9-10)

It is easy for us to make excuses of why we are not able to volunteer and
help the people that are not as fortunate as we are. We can say that we 
don't have any time or our job schedule is so busy that it is impossible.
Yes, it is easy for us to make excuses, but I believe it show's more 
character in a person who despite being so busy will still make time and 
say, “I will help those that are not as fortunate as I am.” I want you to 
know that you will not only be a blessing, but you also will be greatly 
blessed for your kindness and compassion towards those who are not as 
privileged as you are. (Romans 15:1-6) (Luke 6:38) (Matthew 5:42-45)


Read and meditate on these scriptures:

1 John 4:10-11 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved 
us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Luke 6:35-36 Jesus declares, “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and 
lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye 
shall be the children of the Highest: for He is kind unto the unthankful 
and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Matthew 5:14-16 Jesus declares, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that
is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it
under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are
in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

1 John 4:7-9 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and 
every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not
knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God 
toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, 
that we might live through Him.”

All scriptures can be found in the King James Version.


In Christ’s Service, 

Dwayne Savaya 
Gods Work Ministry