“Serve
wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.” – Ephesians 6:7
While taking a stroll around the Gaslamp Quarter this
afternoon, we stopped at a trendy restaurant to grab some lunch. Our waitress arrived to our table and took
our order. What ensued was a meal
strangely missing our server’s presence.
She was far from rude, but it was hard to ignore the lack of
attentiveness. No drink refills. No “anything else I can do for you?” The food was great, but the
service cast a very mediocre tone on the overall experience.
As we left the restaurant I watched our waitress float
around the establishment, oblivious of her own nonchalant attitude. Her heart was not into what she was doing and
I’m sure that was clear to every customer who came in contact with her.
One might think I’m being overly critical of our adorable
waitress. After all, waiting on others is a challenging job….why should I expect her to enjoy serving a bunch
of ingrates?!
Honestly, I won’t lose any sleep over her service, but what
I did reflect on today is that all of us, as followers of Christ, are servants to
others in one shape or form. In Mark
9:35 Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be
first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."
Serving is what we do – it is
a part of our spiritual DNA.
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” – Mark 10:44-45
Each
day people walk into our lives hungry and in need. Each day God expects certain sacrifices that
require us to humble ourselves and give (e.g. emotionally, financially,
socially, physically). In that process,
it’s easy to go about our dutiful way serving and giving but completely miss “it”
in the same way that waitress missed it today.
We
leave our heart out of it.
We
check off a box and move on.
It’s
not enough just to serve, but serve with a heart of thanks
Think
about restaurants that you consider exceptional. If I were to ask you why you consider them
exceptional I’m willing to guess two things would distinguish them from others –
food and service.
Well
when it comes to the Kingdom of God - the food has already been provided by our
Heavenly Father. The quality of His word
and His promises are unquestionable.
The
service? That’s where we come in; that
part is up to us, and we play a key role in others returning to God’s table or
turning away.
“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in
serving one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever
speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let
him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may
be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.” – 1 Peter 4:11
Now
before you get into lamenting over the “ingrates” that make it not-so-fun to
serve, consider what state we were in when Christ humbled himself and came to
serve US. Even in our rebellious state, Christ
chased after us – all the way to the cross – so that we could eat the good of
the Kingdom. We were the most difficult
customer eternity could find! Yet Christ
served.
So
when we serve, we take on the likeness of Christ.
How
cool is that?! Serving is not an
obligation, it’s an honor and a privilege!
We get to be an extension of God’s love to others.
So how should we respond to
this call to serve?
Cheerfully! God knows the difference, and so do others.
“Each of
you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or
under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver” - 2 Corinthians 9:7
So
don’t just give – give with gladness!
Let’s
pack the Kingdom with return customers! Standing room only!
All
it takes is for us to focus on learning how to serve others well.
Let’s pray (poem from Jack Watts): “Father, allow me to serve others with a joyful
heart; Never keeping score; always giving; never expecting to receive. Allow me to give of myself, to give of my
talents and of my goods, to give of my time and of my energy, to give of my
heart and of my soul.
Help me understand the
needs of others, never criticizing, never demeaning, never scolding, never
condemning. You have been so gracious to
me, always Loving, always forgiving, always restoring: never gloating over my
defeats, even when I have been so wrong…Allow me to serve others as You serve,
with gentleness, compassion, and tenderness, never diminishing the worth of
another, choosing to extend mercy to the brokenhearted, like You have repeatedly shown it to me.”
Amen
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