A SERVANT OF THE LORD

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. James 1:1 (KJV)

 

            We believe James to be the half-brother of Christ.  He was also the head of the Jerusalem church and the Jerusalem counsel.  Great decisions in the early church were made by him as well as some important judgements.  Yet as he begins this letter that was made a part of God’s holy book he merely refers to himself as a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We may not fully comprehend as James did how privileged we are to be servants of the Lord.  I wish we could.  He was more honored to be Jesus servant than to be head of his church or even his blood brother.

            I am not sure that I have been a very good servant of God.  It has been my desire to serve the Lord faithfully.  It seems that I have fallen short of God’s expectations for me and my desires for myself.  Fortunately I have been close to some good and faithful servants of the Lord.  I have known men who counted it an honor just to feed the Lord’s sheep.  Some of your fathers or grandfathers have been faithful ministers of the gospel.  I will say that it is a blessing to be in service for the Lord. 

There are others who were not preachers but have been faithful to God’s cause.  Consider the service of our brotherhood here at the church, whether it is building a handicap ramp, transporting someone to the doctor or cool sealing a roof, these men are in the army of the Lord.  The ladies are fixing meals, helping out in someone’s home or in some other way that I do not know about but nevertheless they are serving the Lord.  We could be having prayer meeting at a person’s home who cannot go to church.  The church may have moved their service to someone’s bedside.  We are in service for the Lord.  Some have visited the jails and shared Christ with the inmates.  Others have gone on mission trips and shared Christ on the streets or through VBS.  We may not have traveled over one hundred miles from home but have been a missionary throughout our territory.  This is what being a servant is all about. 

Some have been faithful servants of Christ while being a faithful wife and mom.  A godly dad and husband today is a heavenly commodity.  Godly husbands and wives are good servants of God.  Faithful, godly children are not only good servants to God but great blessings to their parents. 

Don’t you know it is going to be a glorious time when God says to all those who have served him “Well done thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

 

 

Yours in Christ,

 

Brother Randy Burtram