CRITERIA OF SERVICE!

Genesis 24:1-27 NASB

Now Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in every way. [2] Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in charge of all that he owned, “Please place your hand under my thigh, [3] and I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I live; [4] but you will go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” [5] The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” [6] Then Abraham said to him, “Beware that you do not take my son back there! [7] The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘To your descendants I will give this land’—He will send His angel ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. [8] But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will be free of this oath of mine; only do not take my son back there.” [9] So the servant placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter. [10] Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of good things of his master’s in his hand; so he set out and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. [11] He made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water when it was evening, the time when women go out to draw water. [12] And he said, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, please grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. [13] Behold, I am standing by the spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; [14] now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.” [15] And it came about, before he had finished speaking, that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. [16] The young woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. [17] Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” [18] And she said, “Drink, my lord”; then she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. [19] Now when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” [20] So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. [21] Meanwhile, the man was taking a close look at her in silence, to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not. [22] When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a gold ring weighing a half-shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, [23] and he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to stay overnight at your father’s house?” [24] She said to him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” [25] Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to stay overnight.” [26] Then the man bowed low and worshiped the Lord. [27] And he said, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

 

The criteria of service refer to the standards, requirements, or qualifications that must be met to serve—especially in a Christian or biblical context. Criteria are the principles or standards by which something is judged or decided. They serve as guidelines for qualifying for an assignment.

In every sphere of society, there are criteria for certain positions, professions, and opportunities. Likewise, in the Kingdom of God, there are specific expectations tied to divine mandates.

God promises to bless us and answer our prayers, but certain blessings are activated only when we meet the required criteria. The Lord doesn’t assign names to blessings—anyone who meets the criteria can activate the promise.

Our service to God and humanity is one such criterion. While some blessings come simply by being born again, there are deeper spiritual realms and assignments that require us to meet specific standards of service.

The Bible teaches that service to God is not optional for believers—it is expected of everyone who belongs to Christ. God looks for specific qualities and attitudes in those who serve Him.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 encourages us to do whatever we do with all our might, as unto God. Many go above and beyond in their careers to earn promotions, but in spiritual matters, our service must be of the highest quality. God does not accept mediocrity or half-hearted efforts. That’s why Exodus 19:5 says blessings await those who obey God fully.

Our text in highlights a powerful example of service. Rebecca’s act of service opened the door to marriage and a kingdom assignment she didn’t even know was coming. Abraham gave Eliezer a difficult task, and Eliezer, unsure of how to proceed, committed it to God in prayer and set a criterion. Rebecca met that criterion by going beyond what was asked—offering water not just to Eliezer but to his camels as well as seen in Genesis 24:17–21. Eliezer watched in amazement as she served with strength, effort, and dedication.

Rebecca met the criterion for becoming Isaac’s wife.

How about you? 

Can you meet the criteria of service in God’s vineyard? Many want to serve God—but only on big platforms. Few are willing to get their hands dirty in the building process. Some want to go from calling to elevation overnight, without going through the process or serving others with their God-given gifts. Yet, they expect honour and recognition.

There is a criterion for every area of service God calls us into. Until we meet it, certain doors will remain closed.

Joshua 24:14 outlines key criteria for serving the Lord:

- Fear the Lord – Reverence Him as the sole object of your worship.

- Serve Him – Obey His commands and perform His will.

- In sincerity – Engage your whole heart in His worship.

- In truth – Serve according to the instructions in His Word.

True service is a response to God’s grace. It’s not about impressing God with our efforts but relying on His power and grace. Our service is both worship and action—reflecting love, humility, and obedience.

Finally, we must put away foreign gods and idols—anything that distracts or limits us from serving God and humanity wholeheartedly.

No matter how tough the criteria may seem, or how unqualified you feel, if you commit to meeting the criteria and serve as unto the Lord, you’ll walk through doors that no man can shut—because the Lord Himself has opened them.

There is a criterion for that service.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for calling me into service for You. Give me the grace to be essential to Your Kingdom and helpful to those in need. Help me to serve with sincerity, truth, and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/womenoflight/episodes/CRITARIA-OF-SERVICE-e34oli6

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