Notes from this week's podcast: "I really want to serve God, but..."

When we serve the Lord, what does that mean? And how do we flow in it so that it brings honor and glory to God?

Sydney: What does it mean to serve the Lord? And also we have to know who we are, whose we are, that we are His people, we are the sheep of His pasture. We are to be led by Him. If we know that is our identity, I believe that serving the Lord with gladness will come a lot more natural. 

Jo: Why sheep? I'm a person! 

Sydney: Sheep are used so much because they need guidance.

Think about the word serve. Do I need to go on a trip? Or serve at church more? Where, God, do You have me? Service is anything we put our hands to -- our everyday toil.

Jo: The world may tell you: That's not meaningful or has value. That's not the way God thinks. He's got a plan and purpose for us. Sometimes what we call mundane may be the preparation for a greater purpose down the road.

Sydney: If you're not following Him (in His Word), it can feel useless. We've got to hear from Him to know, not that it will always be easy. But, you will have encouragement from Him as you walk with Him to keep on. 

Jo: "I feel like everything is redundant, repetitive. It doesn't mean anything. And it doesn't seem to have value." But, it comes back to us as Christians: Do I have this circumstance in order? I believe if we're going to move from that mundane/ lesser than ___, get back in order, pursuant to God's Word. The first step in evaluating that and getting God's perspective: let me get in God's presence. And get your heart humbled before God. 

Sydney: Don't wait. God is putting people in your life every day.

What can we do now living missionaly in service to the Lord?

Whatever we put our hands to, He can make it count. In our own efforts, it's going feel exhausting. But the Lord can establish that work of our hands as His favor rests on us, as we let the Holy Spirit work in our lives. He can make it meaningful, eternal, and make it count.

Jo: Another translation in place of establish uses Confirm. God, confirm that this lines up with You -- that this is Your will. Seal it for me, God.

The Holy Spirit is critical. Without getting in God's presence first and letting Him confirm (this is what we need to do) not just by word, but by the Holy Spirit being invited to come in with the power to do it through us. It's such a trick of the enemy to lead us: Self, do the best you can. Then, we fall and stumble, feel like a failure, then we don't try to serve.

Sydney: You can work unto the Lord because you know that the labor in the Lord is not in vain. But the power comes from being able to stand firm, be consistent -- comes from the power of the resurrection.

How has it affected your day to day work?

Jo: Today, my day started at 3:30 -- I love to get in His presence first. I want my day to be preceded by being in His presence and hearing from God. 

Lord, there's no way I can do this. There's no way I can fit all this in. Lord, I'm going to hand this to You. I commit this to You. But I need the power of the Holy Spirit to do it through me. 

It's all about seeing things from God's perspective but you've got to invite Him into the matter and let Him confirm the works of Your hands first. 

Sydney: It's all about hearing from Him. We are sheep. He's got to be our shepherd. 

Jo: When we're pressing through the day, and we've got a busy day, when things start to get restless, when things seem to be out of order, become chaos, that's your spirit. That's an alarm from the Holy Spirit: Back up. We're about to miss God, coming out of step with God. Immediately stop because I need the power of the Holy Spirit. I know I'm not lined up with God. 

Sydney: Friends can help talk it out, but at the end of the day, you've got to hear (like a sheep) your shepherd literally, one day at a time, guiding you. There's no better place to be than just daily reliance on where the Shepherd leads you. And you've got to be in tune and in His Word to know that.

Jo: God created us. He created us for Him, for His glory with a plan and a purpose. If we believe that:

(1) what is that plan and purpose?

(2) what is that preparation in today for that plan and that purpose and pursue it.

Lean in on Him. As the sheep stay close enough to Him that we can just lean back on Him and wherever He wants to take our lives, we're with Him.

If God's given you a word, stand on that word. If you don't know the next step, then take that Scripture and break it down. Let God amplify that word for you. He will begin to sing it over you.

Sydney: "Exhaustion can come not just from doing too much but doing what God hasn't called you to do."

Jo: When things become confusing, that's the moment to stop.

Sydney: The Lord sees your work -- holy work -- as you submit it unto Him and seek His approval and His applause only over trying to win the next person's applause. * Am I doing this to win the approval of the Lord for Him to establish by hands?

Jo: We want to keep moving with God. What is moving you on the journey? Is it the flesh? Or is it because my heart is set on God? Be honest with yourself.

God is my cheerleader.

Sydney: There's no better sense of joy than doing what God's called you to and that confirmation that you know that this is the work God's called me to.

Jo: I have learned it can be a snare if I misuse [an encouraging word from someone]. At the end of the day or beginning of the next day, I'm very intentional to stop and say, "God, thank You for that encouragement, I'm getting my eyes back on You. That was the Holy Spirit. I'm just the vessel." He is the one who will confirm the works of our hands. And He wants to sing over us with gladness. It's all for His glory.

Sydney: He's the only one to give us meaning and purpose in our day to day toil. Our work unto the Lord is not in vain. It's not wasted. It's eternal, even if we don't see the fruit in this life. God, give us the eternal perspective.   

Scriptures for study: Psalm 100:(1) 2-3, Psalm 90:12 & 17, 1 Corinthians 15:58, John 10:27, Galatians 1:10, (Job 33:4) Philippians 4:11