“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now has been disclosed, and through the Scriptures of the prophets, in accordance with the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 16:25-27

One of our core desires is to be loved. We try to satisfy this desire with relationships, seeking approval, or working hard for recognition. When we live to satisfy this desire, we have a hard time seeing and serving others, especially behind the scenes. We will serve when there’s something in it for us, but we are less motivated to serve when we see no tangible reward.

Paul pointed to Jesus as the One who would establish the Roman believers and show them the way to go. He reminded them of the redemption story God has been building from the very beginning to anchor them to the One who loved them long before and would continue to lead them long after his letter was read. When we know we are loved by God and remember that He is the center of the universe, our whole life and perspective changes. Instead of living for the approval of others, we can serve selflessly to point them to the true source of life. Instead of looking for recognition, we can serve in the background, knowing God has already seen us and loves us regardless of human accolades.

Hebrews 13:20-21 echoes this sentiment, “Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, that is, Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” As you love others and serve faithfully, Christ will equip you at every step when you come to Him.

• What are some of the motivating factors behind your habits of service? How does your motivation impact the way you serve or don’t serve?
• How are you encouraged to know you are equipped by Christ to serve? How does that change your approach to serving?
• Pray and thank God that He equips you and ask Him to show you how you can serve and point others to Him.