Servant-hearted

Make Me A Servant

Make me a servant, humble and meek,
Lord, let me lift up those who are weak.
And may the prayer of my heart always be:
Make me a servant, make me a servant,
make me a servant today.
Kelly Willard

I woke up this morning, thinking about this song. May this truely be the prayer of our hearts! As wives, we have a unique opportunity to put servanthood into practice everyday.

"Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled. Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved. Teach and urge these things." 1Timothy 6:1-2

While these verses speak directly to slaves, they are very applicable to us as wives. As daughters of Sarah, we are to submit to and obey our husbands (1Peter 3:6). They are our head, our "master". Sometimes I think it is easy for us to let this slide, especially if our husband is also a believer. After all, we are all equal in Christ, right? Let him do the dishes, let him change the baby, etc. But these verses say that it is all the better for us to serve those who are our brothers, since they are believers and beloved. As you all know, I refer to my husband as my Beloved. So, do I think that it's coincidence that I use that word to refer to him and that God has used that word in this verse? No. I have never really paid that close of attention to these verses before, but as I read them this morning, I thought, "What a wonderful reminder to me to be a servant to my Beloved ~ for he is a believer and beloved."

As a wive, I am the person *best* suited to serve my Beloved. Surely if I am slacking in my duties, someone could come along and do a better job, but if I truely desire to honor not only my husband, but my Lord, no one can serve my Beloved better than I can. God designed me specifically for this one man. What a precious thought! Before the foundations of the earth, God knew He would knit me together to one day be the helpmeet of my Beloved husband. The same is true of you. Stop for a moment and just let that sink in. He chose you to be His child, He chose you to be the helpmeet and lover to your husband, He chose the blessings He would give you.

I was reading an article in the current issue of Homeschooling Today, by Lorraine Pintus. I was reminded once again that serving is not a matter of obedience, but a matter of love. If I love someone, what better way to show them, than to serve them? To take care of their needs ~ maybe even needs they don't know they have.

Today I challenge you to serve your husband! Maybe do something for him that you know he's been wanting done, but you've just put it off. Maybe do something for him that you just know would bless him ~ make a favorite dessert, give him a back rub, wash his feet, initiate making love to him ~ be creative, but be a servant today!

Oh Lord God,
I lift my readers and myself before Your throne this morning. Lord I pray that You would give each of us a deep desire to serve our husband. Show us ways to love and serve him that would bless him deeply today. May our lives be marked not only by our love and devotion to You, but by our servant hearts toward those you have given us to minister.
In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.