Serving others in a balanced way doesn’t prevent you from maintaining the necessities of life–proper rest, laundry done, kids fed, etc.
1 Peter 5:8
“Be well-balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.” (Amplified Bible)
When we are out-of-balance in any area of our lives, we open the door for our enemy, the devil, to attack us. Many Christians become out-of-balance in the area of serving others. The scripture above cautions us to live our lives in a temperate way. Temperance means marked by moderation as keeping or held within limits: not extreme or excessive. Often we lean towards one extreme by focusing on the needs of others way too much, which leads to resentment and bitterness. Or we lean towards the opposite extreme,focusing on our own needs way too much, which stunts our love walk and our growth as Christians.
The key is to serve the Lord just right, doing exactly what He wants us to do when He wants us to do it. How can we know we are serving the Lord in the way He desires? Try this simple test—check your attitude.
If you feel continuously resentful about what you are doing, you may be doing some things God has not called you to do. Remember, God gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Think about that scripture in a different way than you may have in the past. God gives us the desire to do His will. When we are acting upon a God-given desire, we serve with joy and demonstrate a godly attitude in spite of hardships or setbacks. Plus, serving others in a balanced way doesn’t prevent you from maintaining the necessities of life–proper rest, laundry done, kids fed, etc. When we find ourselves grumbling the majority of the time we are “serving the Lord”, something is wrong. God wants service with an “inward smile” not a scowl. Spend some time in prayer with God and find out what He desires, and then do only what He says. People who know they are in God’s will, have a good attitude.
If you feel continuously disconnected from other Christians and often experience thoughts of envy and criticism, you may not be doing everything God has called you to do. We tend to be critical of things that are important to us. If certain things “really bother” us, it’s a signal those issues are problems we are called to solve. We generally don’t complain about problems we’re working to correct. Serving in the area God has called us to leads to fulfillment. We know our contributions are needed in the Body of Christ. People who know they are in God’s will are connected to others through service and are confident.
Learning to be well-balanced in our service to others is one way of protecting our mind from ungodly thoughts and attitudes. Remember, when we are truly serving others according to Gods will we can…
Philippians 2:14
“Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves]…” (Amplified Bible)
Today’s Life Key: Be well balanced.
