Be the One: Serve

“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

As the years of marriage went by, Alice and Eric talked less, smiled less, and an invisible wall of indifference had grown up between them. Both felt taken for granted and neither talked to the other about their days. Alice grew resentful as she took care of the children, the house, the meals, and more. Eric came home from work exhausted and wanted his evenings to rest. Both wanted the other to serve them but neither was thinking about serving the other.

Christ himself set an example of loving service when he came to Earth. Mark 10:45 says that Jesus came to serve and not to be served; he came to give his life as a ransom for us. Jesus demonstrates selflessness in his relationship with the church. And we are called to the same kind of love. We are called to have the same mindset that Christ did. We are to have the same love for each other that he had for us. And that love puts the other person's interests ahead of our own (Philippians 2:2-4).

When you are preoccupied with meeting the needs of another, you hardly take them for granted. When it is mutual, it is a taste of heaven. This is the kind of love Christ modeled for us. When we continue to love each other by serving, God's love finds its full expression in us (1 John 4:12).

Reflection

Look at some of the marriages around you that you admire. Make a list of ways you see the partners serving each other. Prayerfully ask God how you can practice serving others in those ways in your current relationships (family, friends, etc.). Pick one to focus on this week.