I love to serve; however, I've recently been convicted about the fact that I often am only selfishly selfless. What do I mean, you ask? I'm so glad you asked! Allow me to elaborate… 😀
See, there are times when serving someone is super easy – the service is toward someone you love dearly, the task is something you love doing, you'll get some sort of credit or affirmation, etc. What about the times when it's for someone you may not know very well or possibly not like? What if nobody ever knows? What if you're going to get real dirty? What if its not a convenient time (which there are not many such times)? What if you're at a time in your life when you're really tired or strapped financially or something else? What if it invades all your personal space and interrupts your private home life? Are these reasons not to serve? Many people would argue so. They'd say you have a "right" to rest or have time and space to ourselves.
But Jesus…He's a different story and He's the one I want to care about. See, Jesus was constantly interrupted. He was constantly inconvenienced by children, by lame people (like cant walk-lame, not pathetic-lame…although I'm sure plenty of those popped up too!), by the sick, diseased, dying, rich, religious crazies, etc. He got interrupted time and again on his way to do something else. How did He respond? With love. With truth. With humility. With service. He touched lepers and other unclean people. He associated with the social outcasts. He washed people's feet. He took the time to repeat things over and over and explain things to his disciples. I want to be more like my Jesus. I've got a long way to go, and I'll never arrive; but dang it, I want to constantly be increasing in his characteristics. I hope my hands and feet will get dirty more often. I want to be stretched. I don't want to live a comfortable life. That's not what we were put here for. There is power in humility and love and serving, and that's just one of the reasons I'm so excited for this opportunity to go on the world race! I'm thankful for this season when I get to drop everything and make that my focus alone, as well as have the chance to serve so many different cultures! However, I also want to and should make this my daily life. I still live very comfortably, and am in no way stretched beyond my daily comforts. I'm praying for how this needs to change.
Please pray with me for discernment on where I need to focus until I leave in January, and I challenge you to evaluate your life. Do you know Jesus? Did you consider what it really looks like to follow him? Sadly, it's not like most examples that we see today in America. Are you willing to be different, to be committed? I dare you to ask Him to show you, you just better be ready for the truth. Seek it out, but that's your warning. A life that follows Christ is not easy, but the riches of getting to share in the inheritance and divine nature of Jesus Christ are greater than any imagination can conjure up. That's the promise for those who truly love and follow God.
