There is a manga called Yakitate Japan which is one of the best comedy I have read. One of the those series that can literally make me roll on the floor. It's pretty interesting to think that a "break baking" anime can be that good.
So in the story (in the Monaco Cup arc), there is this special competition where you're given about 1 hour to get any ingredients you want from the local storehouse to make your bread. But they don't tell you any rules until you're finished with the ingredients. So one of the members of the Japanese team (Kai) decided to go Asian and get all the ingredients he can with the time he has. His rival (a French guy) was very selective and got only a few of his favorites ingredients.
After the hour, they were told to bake a break using all the ingredients they got. Meaning that if you have leftover ingredients, you're disqualified. And that was quite the big shock for the Japanese guy because he got so much on his plate! (btw the French guy knew the rule beforehand, that's why he only selected a few). Somehow, using his never-dying samurai spirit, Kai pulled it off, and beat the French guy!
One important aspect about serving is to know the size of your plate. Each of us are given different gifts and responsibilities, each of us have been entrusted different things from God. Not everyone is able to serve 20 hours a week in a fellowship. There is no norm how much everyone should serve. It boils down to knowing what God is entrusting you with, and how much you can handle. The assurance we have is that God will not give you more than you can handle, and He will always give you sufficient grace and strength.
Knowing yourself (last post) is key to help you know the size of your plate. The point is to fill the plate, not too empty that you're not using your full potential for God, nor too full that the plate will break making you ineffective (eventually burn out).
I probably on the latter end, always wanting to over-full my plate. There are many times when I get really exhausted and been in the border of burn out. So yeah, I need to grow in realizing that I need to do less and focus more on the wonders of God. Need to more like Mary and less than Martha (Luke 10).
For those who are in the other end, I encourage you to fill your plate as God can do wonders, He can show you more of His riches, and how joyful is to serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." - 2 Peter 1:5-8
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