Last December 18, 2022, Gospel Bible Baptist Church held its annual thanksgiving Sunday to remember God’s goodness to His children for the whole year.
On that Sunday morning, Pastor Godwyn Aguinaldo reminded the church that our service is one way of giving thanks to the Lord. To be thankful, we must first learn how to be a good and faithful servant. Being a good servant starts within ourselves. There must be a mental shift or a change in our attitude. Philippians 2:4 tells us that we should not look on our own things, but we must also look on the things of others. “Others” in the text includes God. A good servant is sensitive to the needs of others, specially of God. We are reminded that the reason for our service must focus on what pleases God and not of our own intentions. God is always more interested in why we do things rather than what we have done. ATTITUDES OF A GOOD SERVANT: 1. A good servant thinks more of others. Jesus Christ showed an example of being a servant. Jesus became a servant when He was born as a man and died on the cross (Philippians 2:7-8). He took the form of a servant to ensure our salvation. We are commanded to follow Christ’s example of selflessness. If we stop focusing on our own needs, we become more aware of the needs of God and of others. 2. Being a good servant requires self-denial. A real servant does not use God for his own purpose. However, a true servant let God use him for His purpose. We should have pure hearts when it comes to our service. We must think first of what we can do for the church and for the Lord before ourselves. If we can give our best to achieve our dreams, then why can’t we do the same for our Lord? The pulpit commanded us to give our all when it comes to our ministries. GIVING OUR BEST The second point of Pastor Godwyn’s preaching taught us to give our best when it comes to our service. Matthew 5:41 required us that when we go a mile, we must go with him twain. It means that when we do something for the Lord, we must give twice the effort of what we can do. The story of Joseph taught us that we should have a servant’s heart. Genesis 39:1-4 showed the humble beginnings of Joseph as servant of Potiphar, the captain of the guard and of the Pharaoh before he became a governor. Joseph gave his best and prioritized the needs of his masters before he became a steward. Despite the hardships, Joseph continued serving his masters and trusted God. God improved the life of Joseph because of his servitude. Like Joseph, our works will never be in vain if we give our best. We must remember that everywhere we go and whatever challenge we may face, our Lord is with us to lift us up. Psalm 116:12 what shall I render unto the LORD [for] all His benefits toward me. [14] I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all His people. This year, God had prospered and showered us with countless blessings. It is time for us to prove to Him that we are worthy of these blessings, and that we can be trusted for bigger ones. We should start where we are and give our all for the glory of the Lord. After learning what God’s children must do to give back to the Lord, the church wholeheartedly sang Dakilang Katapatan before they gave their thanksgiving offerings. This year’s thanksgiving, we are reminded that God deserves the best from us because He gave us everything despite our shortcomings. /written by: Colleen de Ocampo /published by: Em Gacad
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