Genesis 24:18-19 (NIV) “Drink my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.”
Abraham has sent his oldest servant on an all-important mission.
Abraham puts his servant under oath to find a wife for his son, Isaac. The servant was to ensure that he did not take a woman from among the Canaanites, but was to go to Abraham’s relatives in his country. Also, on no grounds was he to take Isaac back to the relatives either. On the other hand, if the woman was unwilling to come back with him, the servant would be released from the oath.
The servant prayerfully rises to the task. He asks the Lord to grant him some specific signs to help him identify the right woman. His criteria was that when he meets the right woman and he asks for a drink of water, the woman would willingly give water, not just to him but also for his camels. That’s quite a tall order!
The Bible says, when the servant met Rebekah at the well, she willingly drew water not just for the servant but for all of his ten camels too. It is said, a typical camel can drink 20 gallons (75 litres) of water at a time. That’s a lot of water and hard work for one young woman. Rebekah’s willingness to draw water for the servant and also his camels reflect two very powerful and needed attributes. A heart of service and willingness to work hard.
As followers of Christ, we are called to be people who serve humbly and work hard.
To serve needs humility. Christ set us the ultimate example of service, when He chose to come down to earth be as one of us, His created, that He might redeem us (Philippians 2:5-11). In Mark 10:43-44, our Servant King reminds us that our path to greatness is in serving others, humbly. Contrary to the standards of the world, if we want to be great in God’s kingdom, we are to serve, to be servants of all.
We are also called to work hard and not be lazy. The Bible reminds us that laziness ends in slavery (Proverbs 12:24). There is no room for laziness in the life of a Christian, for we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Paul set an example for the church by working hard (Acts 20:34-35, 2 Thessalonians 3:8). So also, in whatever we do, we are called to work with all our hearts, as unto to the Lord (Colossians 3:23).
Is there someone the Lord has been calling you to serve and you have been reluctant ? Is there some work you have been unwilling to do because it is just too much effort? Let us not become weary in doing good (Galatians 6:9). May we reflect Christ as we choose to work hard and willingly serve those the Lord allows in our lives.
Give me an increasingly willing heart to serve Lord and hands that work hard, as unto you, I pray.