Serving

One of the books I read this past year was The Volunteer Revolution by Bill Hybels. In the book, Steve Sjogren was quoted:

"We love, serve, and care for others because that is normal behavior for people who are filled with God's Spirit. We are Christians. Christ was the ultimate servant. We can't help but serve because the Spirit of the Servant has filled our hearts. When we serve, we are just being who we naturally are."

That should be true of us. But more often than not, we're like the disciples in Matthew 18 asking, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" We're conditioned to be concerned about greatness -- to be competitive.

The irony is that the very thing that will make us great is counterintuitive. Jesus communicates this to them later in Matthew 20, "whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant."

In Ephesians 6:7, we find out how to serve. "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men ..." Our lives are about bringing glory to God. He asks us to do this by serving him. And, when we serve others, we do so as if we're serving Him ... or at least, that's the way it should be. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 25, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

God understands us. For our competitive nature, he constantly gives us motivational objectives. Scripture contains numerous references to rewards for those who overcome, e.g., crowns, blessings, and even sitting on His throne! Furthermore, apart from these, what's in it for us?

"'I tell you the truth,' Jesus replied, 'no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.'"

One hundred times! That's a very good return on our investment in His kingdom. Are you still struggling with the concept of greatness? Have the same attitude as Jesus Christ, considering others more important than yourself, worthy of your sacrifice so that you may show the love of Christ -- through acts of love ... acts of service.