I like to stay busy.
I don’t just like it… I am programmed that way. I dig the feeling of motivation, doing, going, changing the world and am pretty terrible at resting. (Rest is something I am working on… but that is a post for another time.)
Motivation, especially for Jesus can be a great tool. It helps us to love, forgo judging others, and act in obedience. It can also help us to serve.
Which is what today’s blog post is all about. Welcome to our latest entry in practicing what we preach through service.
Way back when 7 Days Time was first placed on my heart, God told me He didn’t want me to just write… He wanted us to serve. So we did, specifically through our Factor of 7 Experiences, aka our “Jesus-sneak attacks” via not-so-random acts of kindness.
You might think we have this serving others down. But not so fast.
We still struggle. Like, daily.
Because when it comes to serving others, there are eleventy-billion reasons not to.
I am already too busy.
We don’t have enough money.
I don’t want to make anyone feel awkward.
Those other people can fill my spot. They won’t even miss me.
What if I do it wrong?
And if we are being perfectly honest: I just don’t want to.
Yes, there might be a ton of reasons NOT to serve… But there is one really, really great reason TO serve: Because Jesus said so.
Think about it: Jesus, Lord of Lord, King of Kings, SAVIOR OF THE WORLD made the choice to serve us. You, me, our neighbor down the street. He left the comfort of heaven and came to earth to save our keisters from ourselves and our sin. He not only hung out with shunned, fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, washed those disciples’ stinky feet, but He bled and died on the Cross for us.
So we serve because He said so. And we preach that message. But it still sykes us out sometimes. Not only does my flesh automatically default to the excuses listed above, but the enemy also adds to the resistance. He tells us that we don’t have the time, ability, blah, blah, blah. So we listen to the lies. And find an excuse not to serve.
When we do, we aren’t practicing what we preach.
Somebody started this crazy rumor that serving has to be big. If we can’t collect three tons of canned goods to feed the entire county, then we might as well not try.
Uh, negative. Try again.
Notice that Jesus never told us our acts of service have to be ginormous. They simply have to be rooted in love.
We can serve by holding a door for someone. Buying a coffee. Loading groceries. Bringing a meal in a time of crisis. Watching kids. Sweeping the kitchen floor. Putting our hand on a shoulder and praying for her as she weeps during worship.
We don’t have to serve big. We just have to serve with love. Let our walk match our talk.
Because our Big, Awesome, Loving God will multiply our service to impact ways we never imagined.
How do I know? Because He has done it for us. Time and time and time again.
Remember back when we bought coffee for some strangers at Fort Benning Starbucks? They ran an article in the newspaper about it. Then Staff Sergeant Monroe read it. His life has been filled with challenges and pain: Wounded during a deployment, loss of his mother, loss of his aunt, loss of his beloved wife to breast cancer, loss of his daughter, a blown out knee, a house fire… All of this (and more) left him as an active duty soldier and a single father to his son.
All that time, he was running from God. But the day our story ran, he read the paper. He was moved by our ministry. He reached out. We have been praying for him ever since.
Now, several years later, we have moved to another state. He is getting out of the military. But our previous military minister at church emailed us some incredible news.
Staff Sergeant Monroe has recommitted his life to Christ.
And all we did was buy coffee for some strangers.
Our actions weren’t the only influencing factor to SSG Monroe finding his way back to Jesus. But God did use it as a piece to His puzzle.
One act of service is a enough. We can serve Often, N-tentionally and Enthusiastically. O-N-E.
Are you pretty solid in your call to serve? Or are you like me and try to find a way “out?” Commit to doing an intentional act of service in the next month. The holidays are here and now is a great time to make it happen. Comment below with your idea to serve.
Friends, our call to serve doesn’t stand very firm if our hands and feet aren’t supporting it. Let’s practice what we preach and serve… not for us, not for our friends, not even for our neighbors.
But let’s serve for Jesus. Because He said so. Because He first served us.
Serving for Him,
“Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” ~John 13:14-17 NIV
Linking up today with Kelli via Unforced Rhythms, Laura at Playdates with God, Joan’s Beauty in His Grip, Jen over at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, and Hazel via Tell Me a Story. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
