A Heart Laid Down
Who is Sufficient for These Things? Part 2
A Series On Our Attitude toward Serving God—Servanthood and Personal Growth
(Check out the rest of the series. You can find the series index here)
Primary Series Passage
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?” — 2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (ESV)
In our first post, we established a foundational truth: if you are serving God, you are a “simple clay pot” carrying an eternal King. But this realization demands that we stop and examine our own hearts before we go any further.
The overarching theme of this series is our attitude toward ministry, service, and our own personal growth. Before we can look at the chaos in the ancient church of Corinth, or examine the proofs of a sincere servant’s heart, we must ask ourselves some very pointed, very strong questions about why we do what we do.
Why do we serve God?
Whether you have a formal leadership title or are simply seeking to serve the Lord in your daily life, I want you to ask yourself honestly, “Why do I desire to serve God?”
Is it truly to serve Him, or to serve ourselves?
If we serve simply because we feel we have a “call”—what does being “called” actually mean?
How is that call worked out in the everyday experience of our lives?
What do we expect to receive from God for serving Him?
Does God owe us anything?
A heart laid down
To understand what a heart laid down looks like, we have to look at the very essence of worship. True worship is not about playing songs or bodily posture; it is an attitude of total surrender to the Father’s will.
We see the perfect picture of this total surrender in the story of Abraham and Isaac. When God tested Abraham, asking him to sacrifice his beloved son, Abraham rose early, saddled his donkey, and traveled to the place God had told him. Notice the specific word Abraham used when speaking to his servants before they walked up the mountain:
“Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.” — Genesis 22:5 (NASU)
Abraham’s worship was not a song. It was a heart laid down. He exhibited a heart that was willing to give up everything, even a beloved son, for the sake of obedience to the Father. He was willing to give up the very promise of God for God Himself! True worship is a life lived in surrender to the Father’s will, for the purpose of His glory.
The Apostle Peter perfectly outlined the attitude we must have when serving the body of Christ:
“shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” — 1 Peter 5:2-3 (ESV)
If we serve out of compulsion, for shameful gain, or to domineer over others, we are building our own kingdoms rather than God’s. Furthermore, if our goal as the body of Christ is to help one another grow, we face another stark reality: How can we lead people to spiritual maturity if we ourselves are not mature?
The Apostle Paul took these questions incredibly seriously. He knew that everything we do flows directly out of our internal character. Therefore, if we cannot answer these questions with a pure heart, our foundation is already cracking.
Respectfully submitted,
Reflection Questions:
Personal Assessment: Look at the story of Abraham’s total surrender. Are you willing to give up the very promises of God for God Himself, or is your service tied entirely to what you expect Him to give you?
Spiritual Application: In what ways might an immature, man-centered attitude toward serving God actually harm the people around you?
Next Time: To see how dangerous the wrong attitude toward service can be, we have to look at history. In Part 3, we will uncover Corinth: A Church in Chaos, setting the stage for Paul’s greatest defense of the Gospel.
Join the Mission
Jesus Christ calls us to lay down our lives, take up our cross, and follow Him. Yet, He never asks us to endure or sacrifice anything He has not already done Himself—and infinitely more. Christ’s perfect faithfulness and obedience to the Father’s will is the ultimate example for us to follow. If your heart is stirring to step away from man-centered religion and into a life of total surrender to the King, please share this post to challenge and encourage a fellow believer. Subscribe today to join our mission of equipping every member of the Body for authentic service in the harvest.
About Risen Scepter Ministries International Risen Scepter Ministries International fulfills the Great Commission by equipping native pastors in developing nations. These pastors then equip and release God’s people to transform their own communities. Our mission is to provide these spiritual leaders with the biblical depth, resources, and training necessary to establish self-sustaining churches and training centers. We envision a global network of empowered “equippers” who stand firmly on eternal biblical truth while effectively reaching their unique cultures for the glory of God.
Thank you so much. Indeed, we need to examine ourselves carefully when it comes to serving God. True worship is not about wearing a suit, a large tie, or sitting on a beautifully decorated platform and speaking with a trembling voice. No, not at all. True worship comes from a heart that sincerely loves, obeys, and honors God.