Signs of Thankfulness: Thankful Service

Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with jubilation; come before Him with rejoicing. Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courtyards with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting and His faithfulness is to all generations.

Are you a thankful person? Are you a person who shows gratitude and appreciation? Do you have a heart of thankfulness? We discussed the first test of a thankful heart last week. The words we speak reveal if our hearts are truly thankful. Another indication for us to consider is our service. Thankful people serve.

In Psalm 100, the Bible says, “Serve the Lord with jubilation or gladness.” Psalm 100 is a Psalm of thanksgiving, and the writer of this Psalm reveals that a sign of gratitude is service. Thankful people serve God and others with a heart of gratefulness. The word “serve” here is the root word for our word “work,” and is used to describe a slave or a bond servant. Jesus calls His children to be bond servants of one another.

Ministry Service

I am always interested in the responses of people when they are asked to serve in the church, especially in those areas that aren’t considered “up-front” ministries such as the nursery, the kitchen, or the operations area. Here are a few responses that I’ve heard through the years:

“Let’s pay someone to do that”

“I have children at home, I shouldn’t have to work in the nursery at church”

“I have done my time in the nursery when my kids were little; I don’t have to do that anymore”.

“I am too busy”

“Get somebody else; that just doesn’t work for me.”

In fact, I have had church members turn around and go the other direction for fear someone would ask them to serve.

Jesus’ Example

But that is not the example Jesus left for us. On one occasion, the mother of James and John approached Jesus about the place or the position in the kingdom for her sons. Like many today, the boys saw the up-front ministry as the position of prominence missed the nature of Jesus and the importance of service in the Kingdom. In all likelihood, this question came from her sons and she was just the one to ask the question. The other disciples were infuriated at the concept, so Jesus used this as a teaching moment. Matthew 20:25 - 28 says “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.’ ”

The first things Jesus did was correct their misunderstanding and address their pride. He reminded them that prominence in the Kingdom belongs to the one willing to serve, to choose the service that might not receive accolades or recognition. He even defined this by saying that the character of being a servant is not insisting on being first but willing to be last.

But then something astounding occurred. Jesus told his disciples that His entire purpose in coming is to serve - even to die. Notice again what Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” And that is exactly what He did. He served us by taking our place on the cross. He served us by bearing our sin on His body. He served us by paying the debt we could never pay. And then He calls us to serve Him and to serve others as He did. This means we are never more like Jesus than when we are serving.

But the act of serving is not the only challenge. We are to serve with a heart of gladness and joy. One of the marks of a thankful heart is that we serve joyfully and gladly.

Are you serving others? Are you giving of your time, your money, and your gifts to serve the Kingdom of God?

Are you serving gladly and joyfully? Are you serving because it is your duty or are you serving from a heart of joy?

If not, ask God to search your heart and reveal any area of ungratefulness you might be harboring. When your heart is clean before the Lord, you will respond with a humble gratefulness, and service to Him and to others will overflow on everyone around you!