Growth for Service
Christ’s life in us is not about doing more—it’s about being His light, even in the quiet moments no one sees.
Based on the Abide Above Devotional Entry for 4-3
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reflection from Abide Above reminds me that the Lord is not looking for workers as much as He is looking for witnesses—people who bear the life of His Son in their everyday moments. Whether we are in the pulpit or washing dishes at the kitchen sink, the calling is the same: to allow Christ’s life to be formed in us and expressed through us. Ministry is not about launching into activity or programs. It is about the overflow of His indwelling life.
The devotional draws attention to Paul’s deep burden in Galatians 4:19—his spiritual “travail” wasn’t over external ministry success but over the formation of Christ within the hearts of believers. Likewise, C.H. MacIntosh warns that we must not be so busy “tending God’s vineyard” that we neglect the development of our own. True service can only arise from cultivated intimacy with Christ.
We are reminded that God seeks testimony over toil—a living flame rather than frantic activity. Colossians 1:10 calls us to a life that walks in a manner worthy of the Lord, a life that grows in knowing Him and bears fruit in every good work—not to earn favor but to reflect His life within. Our role is not to produce fruit, but to bear it as we abide in Christ.
🖋 Personalized Journal Entry in the Voice of the Holy Spirit
My child, you were not called to prove your worth by what you do, but to reflect My Son in who you are. I formed you in Christ and placed His life within you, not that you would spend yourself in toil, but that you would rest and allow His life to flow through you.
Be still and know that I am God. I have already begun the good work in you and I am faithful to complete it. I do not measure your service by how much you accomplish, but by how much of Christ is seen in you.
You are My workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which I prepared beforehand for you to walk in. These works are not a burden but a blessing, not something to build your identity upon, but a means to express the identity I’ve already given you in Christ.
Let Christ dwell in your heart through faith, and let His love compel you—not ambition, not guilt, not obligation. As you increase in the knowledge of Me, you will walk worthy of your calling—not through effort, but through union. And in that union, you will bear fruit—fruit that remains.
You do not need to strive to be useful. Simply abide, and I will bear much fruit through you. It is not the work I seek—it is the witness. You are the aroma of Christ to those around you, not because you labor, but because you live in Me.
Scriptures woven in order: Galatians 4:19; Psalm 46:10; Philippians 1:6; Ephesians 2:10; Ephesians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 5:14; Colossians 1:10; John 15:5; 2 Corinthians 2:15
🙏 Prayer of Trust
Father, thank You for forming Christ in me and for calling me into a life of union, not performance. I trust You completely to express the life of Jesus through me today—whether in conversation, in silence, in work, or in rest. I no longer need to strive to prove anything to You or others. I rest in the finished work of Christ and rejoice in the unfolding of Your purpose through me, one quiet moment at a time. May each breath I take be a reminder that I already bear the life You seek to express—and that You are doing it all, as I abide.