Serving in Concert
– June 20, 2017 –
What does it mean to be in concert? I’m not talking about a rock concert here, but to be in concert, with yourself and with others. It is “in agreement; have a plan or a combined action; to be in harmony and accord.” So to serve in concert would then imply to be in harmony, taking a combined action, and having a plan to benefit someone else.
Benefiting someone else takes wisdom to know and understand what they need, and taking the action to fill that need. When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet after the Last Supper in John 13, He knew they needed a model to follow. Jesus was the greatest servant leader in history. He lived to enrich others with wisdom, guidance, and love.
When God made Adam and Eve, He gave them, and all mankind certain individual gifts that we are supposed to use in concert within our family and our community. These include “prophesy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, mercy, and love.”(Rom 12:6-9) We can’t be all things to all people individually, but as a community, we can be in concert together and fill the needs of many more. This is a synergy of effort. Synergy is combined efforts that are greater than the individual efforts.
When we give of ourselves without the intention of receiving anything from someone else, we are fulfilling the legacy of Jesus Christ and being like Jesus to that person. This is the essence of love as Jesus demonstrated. Sometimes we need the help of others to be in concert with, so we can find inner peace. That is why God created us to be in communities and not alone. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men (everyone).”(Rom 12:18)
Keep this in mind; our goal in this short life should be cooperation with others, not competition with them. Our competition should be with ourselves, with our efforts yesterday. Lift someone up by showing them Jesus and being of service to them. We love others as we have been loved. If you feel like you haven’t been loved in your past, just remember, God so loved you, that He sent Jesus to this earth to die for you, so that you could have a way to spend eternity with Him.
(Photos of Our Daily Bread daily devotionals)
I recommend rethinking this statement, “Keep this in mind; our goal in this short life should be cooperation with others, not competition with them.” More definition is necessary. Neither competition nor cooperation is inherently righteous or sinful. But the circumstance one’s intention, attitude, and actions; relative to others is the key to obedience.
I agree with you. It was cut kinda short, I’ve noticed some of my posts to becoming lengthy. I’m hoping to give my readers something to discuss and explore the ideas. My intention is also to get my readers to notice how they can use my Ezra10.org posts to apply to their lives and “take responsibility, be courageous, and take (better) action”(Ezra10:4) with their thoughts each day.