We are the Body…Week Five

Since my family lives on a college campus and we happen to be the most accessible adults, we regularly get knocks on our front door from students who have needs. Recently that very thing happened. We were enjoying a few quiet moments together when the knock came on our door. Inside I cringed. “WHAT NOW?” I thought, “We hadn’t had a quiet evening together for awhile.”

My husband went out front to answer the door and there stood a young lady. She was sick, and needed to go to the emergency room. Brian came back to our room, got his keys, and said, “I need to take a student to the hospital.” I selfishly replied, “There goes our evening together!” He looked at me with a disappointed glance and said, “I’m sorry…” Then he was gone. I immediately felt convicted.

Service/serving has been an ongoing lesson for me. God is continually reminding me that the Christian life comes down to one thing…serving. So what is service? What does it mean to be called to be a servant?

The scriptures tell us that serving means choosing “death to self,” choosing to give up what might be considered your “right” to something. It also can mean choosing to be the least, the one in the background, the one not noticed. It can mean to choose not to speak, to not have to be heard…it is choosing to focus on others in our speech, or to build others up. It can take on many forms.

In Luke 9 we see Jesus serving by washing the feet of his disciples. Those who washed dirty feet were considered to be the “lowest.” Our Savior, who deserved to have His feet washed, chose to wash the feet of his Disciples and show the ultimate example of service. That was true service, true greatness! Matt. 20:26 says “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.” In John 13, Jesus challenges his disciples again by saying, “If I then, your Lord, and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet, for I have given you an example.”

Our mind set should be one that is “others oriented.” We should rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us throughout the day into acts of service: whether big or small, whether noticed or not noticed; through a word, or an action, or silence, anything that puts another before ourselves. It may mean meeting a need regardless of the time of day or night, and being content to have, as Richard Foster describes it, “the divine nod of approval,” or, as Ephesians 6:7 says, doing service “as unto the Lord and not unto men.”

Being hospitable is a way of serving. The word “hospitable” comes from the word “hospital.” According to the dictionary, “hospitable” means to “to treat guests with warmth and generosity.” A hospital is a place where the sick and injured go to get help. To be healed. We can act as a “hospital” to those around us by “showing hospitality”…we can show warmth and generosity…in our homes, in the grocery store, wherever we are. We can have the mind set of seeking to meet the needs of those around us!

Gal. 6:2 tells us to “bear one another’s burdens.” James 2:8 tells us to “love your neighbor as yourself”.. Phil 2:3 tells us to “regard one another as more important that yourself,” to look out for the interests of others, to have the attitude of a bond servant, as Jesus did. Romans 12:15 tells us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. James 2:9 tells us to not show partiality. I Peter 5:5 tells us to clothe ourselves with humility towards one another. And, In Matthew 5:44 we are told to serve even our enemies. And, finally, we are told to do unto others as we would have them do to us.

I recently spoke with an young, overwhelmed pastor’s wife. Her question to me was, “Gina, how much of myself do I have to give up?!” That is a good question.

What did Christ give up? We have seen his example of what might be considered a “small” act of service. But, his ultimate act – His death on the Cross – was also his example of how much we are called to give of ourselves.

Philippians 2 answers the young pastors wife’s question…and any of us who have asked the same question at one time or another. It says, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

On this campus.
In my home.
Wherever I go.
Whomever I am with.
Just serve.
And when I feel like I have nothing left to give…
Pray.
And keep on serving.

Just like Jesus did!