I loved to be served. Actually, don’t we all?
Have you noticed that nobody had to teach you to enjoy being served? It comes very natural to me. Maybe it is my gift? Tim, gifted by God to be……. served. Hmmmm, I like it. :-)
But serving others is another story. Because serving is well….. serving.
Think about serving a moment to begin to “prime” your spiritual pump:
- When was the last time you served and it was convenient?
- Have you noticed it will often cost you something? (Time, money, or energy)
- Are you more motivated to serve if you are noticed for your sacrifice of serving?
- Does the above question sound more self – serving than just plain….. serving?
- How was your heart while serving? Be honest, any complaining going on?
I remember an interaction Kim and I were having with one of our children. We were encouraging our child to serve and quite frankly, we were frustrated that our child did not want to. We became concerned that our wonderful, little, bundle of joy was growing up to be a selfish, self – centered, and lazy Christian. And while that may have been true, after all, I am my children’s nearest example to being selfish, lazy, and self – serving…. None the less, I was frustrated.
How can one be so indifferent to serving and call oneself a Christian? How does a follower in Jesus Christ think of serving as a take it or leave it prospect?
While there are times that it is helpful to see the depths of our sinful, selfish hearts, I find it a lot more helpful to see the depth of the Saviors’ (Jesus Christ) sacrifice…. Specifically, as it relates to serving.
Where do we find the motivation to serve? How do we keep “serving” from being little more than a thing that we do, or only a duty to be performed?
Let us look to the Gospel, where we find the King who became a servant.
Most Christians are familiar and comfortable with: Jesus is Lord.
- Lord (Kurios) – meaning that:
- He is part of the Godhead
- He is ruling over all things
- He is Sovereign
- Jesus Christ is God, He is the King…. He is Lord.
And….
This means that we are NOT Lord! When we come to salvation in Christ, we become His servants. When God saves us, He becomes Lord and we GET to serve.
How silly it is when we set ourselves up or think that we are the Lord. The person who repents of their sins and puts their trust in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins is not only looking to Jesus to be their Savior, but that person is also making Him their Lord. He becomes the new believers’ authority in all areas of our lives. We now seek to live under His Lordship / His rule and reign. We are His servants!
But, here is what is amazing…
Before we ever serve Him, The King has served us!
Christ did not come to Lord over us with a heavy hand. Jesus left His throne and took His place among us, as a servant!
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
We serve, not primarily out of a sense of duty.
We serve, not disconnected from the gospel.
But we serve, because, Christ the Lord – served us. He came off of His royal throne to take on human flesh to serve us! And serve us He did!!!! He has served us with His life and death. There are some who want more from Christ. Some only want a glorified Genie in the lamp to grant them their 3 wishes. They want Him to come to their every beckoning call. They want Him to answer them in their cry for a better car, house, or job.
Friend, Christ came to serve you more than we might think at first. He served us all the way to His death, that you and I might have life.
And now….. followers of the King, we GET to serve Him!
Christ saved us, He served us, The King became our servant. What grace is this?!?
We now serve Him. Not to pay him back… as if we ever could. No, we serve Him because The King, who became a Servant, is worthy of our service. Our service to Him becomes worship to the King.
I have at many times been helped by looking at my heart and the sinful reasons why I might be struggling to serve. But, let us not do so without looking at the Saviors love for us. He became our Servant…
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
(Romans 12:1 ESV)
